Dangerous Measures
by marine-machine
Summary: Gibbs is accused of murder. Can the team prove his innocence before it’s too late? Kate and Tony have a chat...Gibbs deals with the aftermath of being accused of murder... Chapter 16 NOW UP! FIN!
1. Chapter 1

**Dangerous Measures**

Rating: T

Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me

AN: Thankyou to Kate for her help and support

* * *

Gibbs ran his hand over the skeleton of his boat, feeling the smoothness of the wood under his fingers. Sighing, he took a sip of his bourbon and picked up the sander. Squinting at the boat, he walked to the far end of it and started sanding. The rhythm relaxing him and taking away the stresses of the day. He whacked the boat with his fist when his cell rang. Grumbling to himself, he put down the plane and picked his cell up from its place on his bench.

"Gibbs," he answered gruffly

"Jethro," he heard after a moment of silence, "Its Fornell,"

Gibbs frowned, leaning against the bench, "Tobias, what's the problem?"

He heard Fornell sigh, "We've found some worrying evidence in the case I'm heading. The death of a 30 year-old man, Dr. Wicks,"

Gibbs sighed, "Congratulations, Tobias, but you don't seem like the type to gloat,"

"Yeah, well, that's not exactly why I rang," Fornell answered

"So, why did you ring?" Gibbs asked when Fornell didn't say anymore

Fornell sighed again, "I really shouldn't be telling you this…You've never heard of this guy before?"

"No, Tobias, what is this about?" Gibbs asked, getting frustrated

"Jethro, the evidence we found, it points to you. We have forensic evidence linking you to the murder. Three agents are on their way to arrest you," Fornell responded

"What?" Gibbs asked, switching his cell to his other ear and standing upright

"I don't believe you did it, Jethro. I don't think you're capable of that. I know you're can shoot somebody, but only in the course of justice. And this guy… He was brutally murdered," Fornell responded, "He was beaten for several hours before they killed him, there was blood everywhere,"

"And you suggest I do what, Tobias? Run?" Gibbs asked, starting to pace

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm merely informing you of the situation, telling you what's about to happen. And, I'm offering you a chance…" Fornell replied

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to decide what to do, "If I run, they'll think I'm guilty. Hell, _I'd_ think somebody was guilty if they ran off"

"But it would give us time. At present, they're happy to just close the case, we have a lot of evidence against you, more than enough to put you away," Fornell told him

"And they'd put you away as well for telling me," Gibbs told him, frowning at his stairs

"Gibbs, I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't think it's worth paying the price. This isn't just a 'normal' murder, he was sexually assaulted, and whoever did this was sick, really sick, there were other things they did…" Fornell sighed, "You'd be crucified if you went to prison,"

"What kinda things?" Gibbs asked as he reached the top of the staircase

"You don't need to know that, Jethro. Look, we may be looking at a serial killer; there were a few murders up near Baltimore with a similar MO. The case files are being faxed to us," Fornell told him

"What other murders?" Gibbs asked in exasperation

"A man by the name of Jim Robbins and another by the name of Bruce Collins," Fornell replied

Gibbs sighed as he reached his room, "How long do I have before your agents get here?"

"Five minutes at the most," Fornell replied

Gibbs swore, picking up his overnight bag from the night before. He ran down into the kitchen, grabbing some food and stuffing it into the bag, "This is a bad idea. What're you gonna tell them?"

"I don't know," Fornell replied, "I'll think of something,"

"Yeah, I hope so," Gibbs mumbled as he grabbed his keys

"What'll you do?" Fornell asked

Gibbs smiled, running out the door, "If I knew, Tobias, I wouldn't tell you,"

Fornell chuckled, "Yeah I guess,"

Gibbs got into his car and listened for a second, "They're close, I can hear sirens approaching,"

Fornell sighed, "I guess this is goodbye then,"

"For now," Gibbs agreed, starting the engine, "Give my regards to the rest of your team, and to mine,"

"Will do, take care of yourself, Jethro," Fornell told him

"Thanks, same to you. Bye, Tobias," Gibbs responded, hanging up.

As he drove off, he passed the unmarked FBI cars traveling to his house. They'd turned their sirens off, but kept their lights on, moving silently through the streets.

* * *

Tony turned over and sighed in contentment. He squinted his eyes open to look at the clock: 0319, and they still hadn't been called out. Looked like he was going to get full-nights sleep for the first time in…No, he couldn't think like that, didn't want to jinx himself.

Tony looked at the pillow beside him, wishing Kate was laying there, eyes closed as she slept peacefully. He sighed, he wanted Kate, he loved her so much it hurt. He didn't care what kind of mood she was in; he just never seemed to be able to hate her. Even in her worst mood, or if she came down with the flu or something nasty, he'd still love her deeply. Probably more so. And he had to tell her. He could no longer pretend. It would mean he'd have to resign for them to be together, but to hell with Gibbs and his stupid rules.

Sighing, he closed his eyes and let his dreams take him away. Suddenly he heard a loud crash and muffled shouts in his apartment. Sitting bolt-upright in the bed, he pulled on some boxers, cursing himself when he remembered he'd left his gun in the kitchen. The sounds grew closer, and suddenly his door flew open and what looked like a dozen SWAT and FBI agents swarmed in. He heard them shouting at him with their guns raised, before he was pulled out of the bed and kept face-down on the floor as they roughly hand-cuffed him.

"What the hell is going on!" he shouted

He began squirming again, only to have more men pin him down, one of them putting his boot over his face to keep him still. Eventually they dragged him up and out of his apartment.

"This is bull-shit!" he yelled at them as they dragged him out of the complex

As they exited the outer door, he saw dozens of cop cars littering the street, lights flashing everywhere. There were a few onlookers standing across the road, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening.

He was dragged to one of the unmarked cars and unceremoniously thrown in, one of the men getting in after him to sit beside him, whilst another man got in the other side.

"What's this about!" Tony asked angrily

One of the men sneered at him, "Shut-up!"

Tony growled at him, but kept silent as the car drove off. He watched the landscape go by, and before long knew where they were going. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I was really, really, looking forward to sleeping in" he told them, shuffling until the cuffs felt more comfortable against his back, "But no, I get hauled outta bed in the middle of the goddamn night, with no freakin' explanation as to why…Hell, even Gibbs has more courtesy than that, and he's a self-proclaimed bastard, just ask him. It's what the second 'B' stands for" he paused, "First part of his name 'Gib' stands for 'Guy In Back' which is like…"

"I said 'shut-up'" the man told him again, "Don't wanna listen to your shit,"

"Yeah, well I don't wanna pay my taxes or bills. Build a bridge and get over it," Tony replied

* * *

That's it for chapter 1...Please review! Tell me if you like it! 


	2. Chapter 2

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews!

Thankyou also to Kate for her ongoinginspiration and help

* * *

Gibbs pulled his car to a stop and looked around the deserted street. Getting out of the car, he jogged to the corner of the street and out onto the main road. Quickly glancing around to making sure that he hadn't drawn unwanted attention to himself, he ran the remaining distance to the cash machine. He cursed again, this was stupid, he had no reason to run. He put his card in the machine and waited impatiently for it to do its 'thing'. Grumbling, he wished it would go faster. Eventually it beeped, asking him how much he wanted to withdraw. He sighed and bumped his head against the machine.

"This is crazy," he mumbled as he asked it to drain his account completely.

The machine complied and spat out a large amount of cash. Gibbs took the money, receipt and his card, then ran back to his car. When he got in, he put the cash in his overnight bag and drove off.

* * *

Tony sat in the interrogation room with his eyes closed, his breathing even and steady as he dozed whilst waiting for the interrogation to begin. He'd been thrown into the room with no explanation. Hearing the door open, he opened his eyes and watched as one of Fornell's agents sat opposite him. The agent started looking over his files, clearly taking his time.

Tony grinned, he was more than familiar with the techniques of interrogating people, he wasn't about to let this guy intimidate him.

Eventually the agent looked up, apparently noticing Tony for the first time. Tony gave him a charming smile and waited for him to speak.

"You're Anthony DiNozzo?" he asked

"And you're one of Fornell's minions" Tony replied

"Just answer the question," the agent curtly replied

"But I can't remember your name, what is your name? You're the newbie aren't ya?" Tony asked with a grin

"I am Special Agent Sparks, and I'm the one asking questions. Now, are you Anthony DiNozzo?" Sparks replied

"Is this one of those questions where it doesn't matter if I say 'no'?" Tony asked

"Answer the question, Agent DiNozzo" Sparks replied

"Ah hah!" Tony exclaimed, "So, you do know my name"

"Is your boss Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" Sparks asked

"I'll answer that if you take off the cuffs, am I being arrested?" Tony responded

Sparks thought for a while before eventually calling somebody in to un-cuff him.

"Ooh, can I get some water as well?" Tony asked before the man could leave

The man left, closing the door before Sparks waited for Tony's answer.

"Yeah, but you knew that already. What's this about?" Tony asked

"When was the last time you saw him?" Sparks asked

"When I left work last night" Tony replied

"Has he tried to contact you?" Sparks asked

Tony frowned, "No. What happened?"

Sparks sighed, writing down some notes, "Where were you between 2300 and 0300 this morning?"

"In my apartment, sleeping"

"Can anyone corroborate your whereabouts?"

"Only me, the bed, pillow and cover" Tony responded, "What's this about?"

"Have you noticed your boss exhibiting any strange or uncharacteristic behavior lately?" Sparks asked, narrowing his eyes at Tony

"It's Gibbs, he's always acting strangely and you can't predict his behavior, nobody can read him, that's just him," Tony replied, "What's going on? What happened to him?"

The door to the room opened, cutting off Sparks' reply. Another of Fornell's 'minions' entered and whispered in Sparks' ear. Tony listened intently and heard him whisper, "We have a lead"

Sparks nodded and stood up, "That's it for now, Agent DiNozzo. I trust you won't be leaving the state or country anytime soon,"

Tony stood up, still frowning, "What is this about? What happened? Is Gibbs okay?"

"You can leave now. Don't leave the state, we may have more questions for you later. I trust you can see yourself out?" the other minion responded, walking out of the room, closely followed by Sparks.

Tony cursed them under his breath as he walked out of the room and down the corridor. They'd pulled him out of his apartment and down to their headquarters to be interrogated for god knew how long, and they hadn't explained what it was about. How goddamn rude! At least if they'd pulled somebody out of bed, they'd had a good enough reason for it, and they usually told them. He walked out of the building and watched several cars leave at high speeds, turning on their lights and sirens. And how the hell was he supposed to get home! He'd left his car at home as well as his keys and wallet.

"Ah shit! I'm gonna have to break into the apartment," he muttered, "Again"

"Tony!" somebody called

Tony turned around and saw Kate walking towards him, still wearing her pajamas. Her hair was all messed-up – just the way he liked it. Tony grinned, "I guess I wasn't the only person rudely awoken this morning,"

Kate scowled at him, "They pulled me outta bed, threw me into a car and have been interrogating me for the last three hours,"

"Yeah, me too. Although, I'd say it'd be closer to two hours," Tony replied, looking back out to the road

"Maybe so, but they didn't even give me an explanation as to why. You got any ideas?" Kate asked

"Nope. But it has something to do with Gibbs," Tony replied

"You don't say. Every other question was about him," Kate said sarcastically

"Hey! Tony! Kate!" they heard somebody call from behind them

They turned around to see McGee and Abby making their way towards them.

"McGee, Abby, nice of you to join the party" Tony said to them

"Yeah, well it's not like we had a choice," Abby replied grumpily, "I was looking forward to sleeping in"

"Yeah, me too," Kate agreed

"Wonder if they brought Ducky down as well," Tony remarked

"Probably," McGee answered

"Anybody got their car or some money?" Tony asked. They all answered in the negative, "Well this is just great! How the hell are we supposed to get home?"

"There's a bus that…" McGee replied

"I'm not catching a bus, Probie," Tony responded

Ducky walked up quietly and joined the group.

"We could catch a taxi to somebody's house. That person would enter and get their wallet and pay for the ride. Then they would drive everybody back to their respective houses." Ducky suggested

"Hey Duck-man," Abby said with a smile

"Abigail," Ducky greeted her, returning the smile

"Anybody know what happened to Gibbs?" McGee asked, concern showing on his face

"He's wanted for murder," a voice replied from behind the group

They turned around to see Director Morrow walk out of the building

"Murder?" Abby asked, disbelievingly

"Gibbs wouldn't kill somebody," Kate agreed

"Well, he used to be a sniper," Tony commented

"Yeah, but he was serving his country. He wouldn't kill somebody without a good reason, and he'd never do anything against the law," Abby argued

"Yes, I know. But the FBI doesn't. They've found evidence against him, at the moment I'm not sure what that is, but I'm attempting to find out." Morrow replied, "At the moment they don't have him in custody, they're looking for him,"

"He ran?" Kate asked

"Yes," Morrow replied

"Why?" Abby asked

"I don't know, but it gives us time. I don't believe Gibbs is capable of what they're trying to pin on him," he turned to Tony, "I want you to head the team. I want you to investigate this case, as soon as you find anything new; I want you to inform me. But I want you to be discreet, officially we're not doing anything, unofficially, I want to know everything. I want you to uncover the truth, get Gibbs off the hook. You're the best team we have and the best chance Gibbs has. I'll get you the information the Feds have, their case-file. At the moment, all I can give you is the victim's name; George Wicks, he's a 30-year-old Doctor,"

Tony silently nodded, then looked around the team, "Think we're up for it?"

They all nodded in the affirmative, making Tony grin.

"Good," Morrow said, "I guess I'll give you all a lift home, seeing as the Feds left us all here with no way of getting back?"

"They let you bring your car?" Kate asked

"I would've taken out half of their men if they didn't. I'd already shot two of them, that's when they realised that storming my place was a bad idea," Morrow responded with a grin

"You shot them?" McGee asked

"Of course. And I had a few words with their director when I arrived, they had no right to storm the place, I would have come willingly," Morrow explained, "So, his men paid the price,"

Tony sighed, a sad expression on his face, "I left my gun in the kitchen, I heard them come in, but couldn't do anything,"

"Well, I was asleep," Kate responded

"Can we go home now? I'm cold," Abby asked

"Yes, I agree, let's go," Ducky responded

* * *

That's it for chapter it for chapter 2!...Hope you all liked it! Please Review! 


	3. Chapter 3

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews!

Thankyou also to Kate for her ongoing help and support

* * *

Parking the car on another deserted street, Gibbs sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He sat in silence as he let his thoughts and worries take over. There was no reason to run, he hadn't done anything wrong and running was only a sign of guilt, or at least, that was how the Feds would see it. What he was doing was crazy. It still wasn't too late to give up and turn himself in. But what would happen then? If what Fornell said was true, he would be arrested and charged with something he hadn't done, no questions asked. And if it was a sex crime like Fornell had said, then he would be victimized and probably killed long before his case went to trial, and that was even if he was put in protective custody. They would still get to him. But that wasn't to say he couldn't defend himself or that he was scared, it just wasn't something he'd want to experience or go through.

Gibbs shook his head, chasing away his thoughts. He grabbed his overnight bag from the passenger seat, making sure the money was in a safe place. Grumbling again, he got out of the car and locked it, walking away. He knew that he couldn't keep the car if he didn't want to be caught; it was too easy to find. Easier to find a car, than to find a person on foot. And by the time they found his car, he'd be long gone.

As he briskly walked down the deserted street, his cell rang. He froze, cursing himself for his stupidity; he'd forgotten he still had his cell on him. Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked at the ID and decided whether to accept the call and possibly alert the police to his location. He sat down and sighed, this would be his last contact with the life he'd led for almost fifty years.

He pressed the green button, "McGee," he greeted

"Boss, it's McGee," McGee replied, making Gibbs smiled, "But you already know that,"

Gibbs chuckled, "Yeah. So I guess you've heard by now,"

"Did you do it?" McGee asked

"McGee!" Abby exclaimed in the background

"Hey, Abs," Gibbs greeted

"Hey, Boss-man. We've rerouted the call path to make it harder for the Feds to trace it," Abby said, "Everybody else is here too"

Gibbs squinted at the horizon; the sun would be rising soon, "You're all up early,"

"The Feds dragged us outta bed and interrogated us," Tony replied

"They what!" Gibbs exclaimed

"Yeah, they tried to do the same to Morrow, but he had other ideas, shot two of the agents, then yelled at their director," Tony responded

Gibbs chuckled, "Good to hear,"

"Jethro, why are you running away?" Ducky asked

"Ducky, I didn't do it, I've never heard of that doctor in my life" Gibbs responded

"So, why?" Ducky asked again

"I don't know," Gibbs confessed

"How did you know he was a doctor, boss?" McGee asked, "I mean, if you didn't do it, how do you know about the case at all?"

"Somebody rang me, gave me a heads-up" Gibbs replied

"Who?" Kate asked

"I can't tell you that" Gibbs replied, "You just have to trust me. Look I have to go; I don't want to stay on the phone too much longer"

"But it's a secure line, Gibbs," Abby argued

"Yeah, but I gotta get going, Abs," Gibbs responded

"Where are you gonna go?" Kate asked

"I can't tell you that. I may call in a few days, see if this mess has been cleared up," Gibbs told them, standing up

"Okay, Jethro, we'll look forward to hearing from you," Ducky replied

"Okay, well, I'll talk to you all later," Gibbs said before hanging up

Gibbs was putting his cell back in the pocket when he felt a gun press against his back.

"Put your hands up!" a man's voice told him. Gibbs did as he was told, raising his hands. "Slowly!" the man commanded

Gibbs was pushed against the side of the building and the man began patting him down.

"Keep your hands up!" the man said again

The man took his cell out of his pocket, then continued searching him. He took Gibbs' wallet out of one of his other pockets, then stood back, "What's in the backpack?" He heard the man open the zip and look through it.

"Clothes, food," Gibbs answered

The man threw the bag aside and Gibbs felt him press the barrel of the gun against his back again.

"I want your jacket as well," the man said

Gibbs thought about it for a second, before deciding that it would be better if he didn't draw attention to himself. Slowly he took off the jacket. The man pulled it from his shoulders and ran off. Gibbs sighed in relief and turned around, watching the man run down the street and around a corner.

He quickly stuffed his clothes back into the bag and continued walking in the direction he was going before. As the sun began to rise, he broke into a jog. He ran down several streets until he reached the main street, then slowed to a walk so as not to draw attention to himself. There were a few people around, starting there days early and he didn't want them to remember him. He walked briskly to the end of the street, on the outskirts of the town and continued walking till he crossed train tracks. Looking both ways, he sighed and walked under a nearby tree to wait.

* * *

Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes, the day had gone slower than usual and he felt more tired than he'd ever been in his life. It had only just turned four o'clock and Tony felt like he could curl up on the floor and fall asleep forever.

He picked up his phone on the first ring, "DiNozzo, yes sir, I'll be right up"

Tony got up and ran up the stairs to Mtac. He strode in and greeted the Director, who kicked all the tech-guys out, leaving just Tony and himself in the room.

"What've you found?" Morrow asked

"We have a profile of the victim, we're still checking to see if Gibbs and the vic had any prior contact. We're reviewing Gibbs' movement over the last two weeks and have looked through old cases to make a list of people who have a grudge against him," Tony responded

"Any luck?" Morrow asked

Tony smiled, "The list keeps getting bigger. Gibbs pissed off a lot of people over the years. Abby's still gathering names, she's gone back four or five years so far"

Morrow sighed, "Anything else?"

"McGee and Kate are out interviewing Wicks' girlfriend, parents and co-workers. They should be back soon," Tony replied

"Okay, tell me if you turn up anything…" Morrow said, getting interrupted when the door opened. Tony turned around and saw Fornell enter, "Agent Fornell,"

"Director Morrow," Fornell responded, approaching the two men, "You're not investigating Gibbs' case, are you?"

"No," Morrow replied, frowning

"Good," Fornell smiled, "Then I'm not giving you copies of our files," he said as he handed over a big file

Morrow took the file and flipped through it, "Why?"

"Because I believe he's innocent and I owe him," Fornell replied

"You were the birdie who called Gibbs to tell him what was going down, weren't you?" Tony asked

Fornell smirked, "Would I do that?"

"Thanks, Fornell," Morrow said

"Don't mention it. I've gotta scoot, before they work out I'm here," Fornell said, before leaving the room

* * *

Gibbs yawned and opened his eyes. He looked around the room, disorientated, wondering where he was. Sitting up, he squinted in the semi-darkness until he remembered. He heard the train screech and blow its horn. Rolling over, he pulled open the door to the carriage and looked out, watching the landscape go by. He sighed and turned to the inside of the carriage, wishing there was something to distract him from his thoughts. After he'd jumped on the train as it went passed the place he'd sat under the tree, he'd laid down and promptly fell asleep. He looked back out of the carriage and looked to the horizon, seeing more landscape and in the distance, a township.

Grumbling, he got up and started pacing the carriage.

"This is stupid," Gibbs muttered as he opened his bag, getting out a banana

As he pealed back the banana, he tried to decide on a course of action. The logical place he would start was to find out more about the Wicks case, followed by the cases which were possibly linked to the same killer. He'd take it from there, discreetly following leads and could hopefully report his findings to Fornell or his team.

Gibbs threw the banana peeling out the side of the carriage and tried to find a more comfortable spot in the carriage. Next stop, Baltimore…

* * *

That's it for chapter 3!...Hope you liked it! Please review! 


	4. Chapter 4

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews.

Thankyou also to Kate for her fantastic work and inspiration!

* * *

Kate and McGee returned to the bullpen, looking tired. Tony looked up from his computer, silently asking the unspoken question.

"Wicks' friends spoke of somebody new in his life, somebody who could change his life. Apparently Wicks was very excited about this new person and said he'd be meeting them on the weekend as they were up here for a holiday," Kate replied

"From where?" Tony asked

"Baltimore," McGee replied, "They met over the internet…"

"Gibbs doesn't know how to use the internet, that's good news," Tony interrupted, "Any idea what their name is?"

"No. That was the only thing they didn't know about the guy," Kate replied

"Okay, anything else?" Tony asked

"Not from his friends. His parents last saw him a few months ago, but he had to rush off because something happened with one of his patients, they weren't sure what. But they keep in regular contact with their son and say that he hasn't been happier in a long time," McGee responded

"How about you? Did you find anything?" Kate asked

"Yeah, a birdie delivered the file that the Feds have. They found Gibbs' blood and fingerprints at the crime scene, and they have an eyewitness placing him there. Eyewitnesses name was," Tony quickly looked through the folder on his desk, "Brett Hobson. The Feds were going to put him in a witness protection program, but he made it quite clear that he didn't want protection,"

"Scared them into changing their minds," Kate commented with a frown

"Something like that. Doesn't have a reason for why though," Tony said, then sighed, "Anyway, before they found the evidence condemning Gibbs, they were looking at Wicks' psychiatrist as the primary suspect. Wicks started seeing a new shrink a few weeks ago. He suffers from depression," Tony replied

"Why did he change psychiatrists? Difference of opinion?" Kate asked

"No, the psychiatrist he'd been seeing for seven years suddenly died of a heart attack," Tony explained, "Or so it seems,"

"The Feds suspect foul play?" McGee asked

"The guy was in perfect health, McGee, seems a bit strange for him to just die. But anyway, the new shrink didn't seem to be all that concerned with Wicks' death and apparently exhibited 'strange, antisocial behavior'" Tony quoted

"Define 'strange, antisocial behavior'" Kate said

"I can't," Tony replied, "They didn't say what happened, it seemed to be a 'gut' feeling. I would ask them, but they don't know we have their files, so…"

"So, we interview the shrink tomorrow," Kate responded, "And try to find out who the person he met over the net is,"

"What about his financials?" McGee asked

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Phone records showed nothing unusual either," Tony replied, "Don't know if Abby turned anything up,"

"Well, let's have a chat with her, then," Kate said, leading the way to the elevator

Tony and McGee exchanged looks before following, getting inside just before the door closed. As they walked into the lab, Tony ducked and quickly turned off Abby's music before he burst an ear-drum.

"Hey!" Abby called out indignantly

"I think you're going deaf, Abby," Tony said with mock-concern

"What?" Abby shouted

"You heard me," Tony replied, narrowing his eyes

"What?" Abby shouted even louder

"I said you're going deaf, Abby!" Tony said, raising his voice

Abby signed something in sign-language, laughing evilly to herself. Tony gave her a blank gaze, "Ok"

"So, Abs, what have you got for us?" Kate asked

"Gibbs pissed off a lot of people. My list is already, like, a hundred pages long, and I've only gone back a year," Abby replied

"Well, you know how much he loves living up to the second 'b' in his name," Tony replied

Kate slapped Tony over the upside of his head, grinning widely.

"Hey!" Tony exclaimed, spinning around, "Only Gibbs is allowed to do that!"

"Well, Gibbs isn't here at the moment, so I decided to take over his role of keeping you in-line" Kate explained

"And how do you plan on doing that, Agent Todd, a way-ward agent like me…you may need to," Tony grinned widely, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively, "Punish me…"

Kate slapped Tony over the upside of his head again, this time, leaving her hand there longer than necessary, "In your dreams, DiNozzo,"

"Oh, you don't wanna go there, honey," Tony responded, grinning

"Umm, guys, you wanna focus here?" McGee asked tentatively

"I'm focusing," Tony said innocently

"On the case, Tony," Abby responded

"Oh, right," Tony said, snapping out of it

"Anyway, as I was saying, I've gone through Gibbs' records and stuff since he worked here and turned up…a lot of people who may hold a grudge against Gibbs. I deleted those who were dead, who haven't been in the country this month, who were still incarcerated or in a mental institution or were in some way incapable of doing it," Abby explained, "Then I put the rest of them in order of seriousness and how much of a threat they are,"

"And…?" Tony asked when Abby didn't say anything

"I'm waiting for a drum-roll here, Tony," Abby said indignantly

Tony rolled his eyes, "Today, Abs,"

Abby cocked her head on the side, "How very, Gibbs, of you. Um, anyway, thirty names jumped out, and I further narrowed it to fourteen as some of them were in the lock-up the day Wicks died, a few others were in hospital or at some boot camp thing the government is running."

"Fourteen?" McGee asked

"That's what I said, Timothy," Abby replied

"Ok, we'll check their alibis and interview them tomorrow," Tony told them, "I've gotta report to the director. I'll see you all bright and early tomorrow morning, go home, try to get some sleep"

* * *

Gibbs jumped off the train and rolled. He came to a stop and slowly got to his feet, looking around. Smiling, he walked the short distance to the city, trying to remember the name of the motel he'd stayed at last time he was here. He walked through the streets, feeling the cold night's air run through his shirt, making him wish he'd brought another jacket. He shivered and walked into a crowded bar, he pushed through to the bar and waited for the bartender to serve him.

"What can I get you?" the man shouted over the music

"You got anything to eat?" Gibbs shouted

"What?" the man shouted back, holding his hand to his ear

"Food," Gibbs shouted, making gestures to make it clearer

The man looked at his watch and shook his head, "Kitchen closed an hour ago,"

Gibbs nodded and walked out of the bar. He went down the street till he found another pub, this one was less crowded, only a few people having some quiet drinks. Walking through to the bar, he asked the bartender the same thing.

The man sighed and looked at his watch, "Nah, the kitchen's closed. There's a McDonalds across the road though,"

"Not really into McDonalds," Gibbs confessed, "I was hoping to get a good pub meal; steak and chips or something,"

The man smiled, "There's a good place just around the corner from here. Take the first right, it's down about three shops, you'll see it, looks kind of dingy from the outside. But they have some good tucker," he looked Gibbs up and down, "And they have some cheap rooms if you need a place to stay,"

Two hours later, Gibbs ran a towel through his hair, vaguely wondering if he needed to consider disguising himself. Then shook his head with a snort, "Like hell I'm gonna dye my hair,"

He lay down on the bed and sighed, what a day. Closing his eyes, he quickly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

That's it for chapter 4...Hope you liked it! Please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews!

Also, a big thankyou to Kate for her continued support and help!

* * *

Fornell sighed and sat down, looking blankly at his television. He cursed the powers-that-be for not allowing the investigation to go further. Apparently his director had been told not to investigate Gibbs' case any further, all they wanted was Gibbs to be brought back and put into custody. For him to be put away for a long time for the crimes he had supposedly committed.

Picking up his glass, he filled it with the strong amber liquid that would take away all of the cares and worries of the day. Taking a sip from the glass, he put it back on the coffee table and mused of the events of the day. Not long after his phone call to Gibbs, they'd found that Gibbs had used an ATM to withdraw all of the money in his account. A few hours later, a trace had been found on Gibbs' cell and everybody thought it was the end of the case, that they had his location. A bust had been set up with the local PD. It hadn't taken long to set up as everybody was eager to close the case.

Fornell smiled as he recalled what had happened.

"_Suspect should be approaching unit three, confirm visual contact," Sparks said into his two-way radio_

"_Unit one, from unit three, confirming visual contact," came the reply _

"_All units move in!" Sparks spoke sharply into his radio_

_Fornell got out of his van and watched as a group of his agents approached their suspect. He frowned as he realised something was different about Gibbs, he appeared shorter and, it may have been the distance, but he had more hair, and it looked more black than grey. The only thing that looked 'Gibbs' about their suspect was the jacket he was wearing, and that the signal from Gibbs' cell was coming from the suspect's location. _

_Fornell groaned as his agents took down their suspect._

"_What the hell…?" he heard over the two-way_

After the confusion, their 'suspect' was questioned and handed over Gibbs' cell, wallet and his jacket. The suspect was charged with theft. They'd gone to the location that their suspect told them was where he'd robbed Gibbs. They eventually found Gibbs' abandoned car and had taken it back to headquarters for analysis.

Fornell took another sip from his glass, resting his head back on his couch. It'd been a long day. Hell, it'd been a long couple of days. Since they'd got the call about the murder of the young doctor, Wicks, two or three days ago, they'd been constantly on the go. None of them had had a proper nights rest. But now that they'd 'solved' the case, they'd retired early and would begin searching again in the early of hours of tomorrow morning.

"Good luck, Jethro," Fornell toasted, raising his glass

* * *

Ducky walked off the elevator and stopped, frowning when he saw that the lights were on in autopsy. Thinking back to when he left last night, he clearly remembered turning them off. Turning around, he pressed the button to get back onto the elevator, but the cart must've already moved off as it didn't open straight away. He gave a silent sigh and looked back at autopsy, remembering when the incident with Ari a few years ago. Reluctantly he slowly walked to the doors, hearing the whoosh as they opened. He walked in a saw that nothing was out of place, nothing apart from the body that lay on one of the autopsy tables. Frowning, he stepped closer, looking into the face of the young man in front of him.

"Young man, what are you doing on my table?" he asked the body

He sighed and spotted an envelope on the table next to it. Walking around the table, he picked up the envelope, reading the front, which was addressed to "Dr Donald (Ducky) Mallard". Pulling out the letter inside, he read the short note:

_Ducky,_

_A small gift from a friend to aid you in your crusade. Prior autopsy notes are also enclosed. Good luck!_

_The birdie_

Ducky frowned, putting the note down and taking out the autopsy notes. His eyes widened in surprise as he realised who the young man on his table was.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Wicks, it's a shame it isn't in better circumstances," Ducky said to the face of the young man

* * *

Gibbs grumbled as the computer in front of him refused to work again. He was in the library, trying to access more information on Wicks and the other two murders. Well, that was the idea anyway, but the computer didn't seem to be clued in on the plan. He didn't want to ask for help as he didn't want the attention, but the damn computer wouldn't work! Grumbling again, he hit the keys on the keyboard harder, hoping that would make the computer do what he wanted.

"Can I help you?" a voice asked from behind him

Gibbs closed his eyes, silently cursing, before turning around to see a young man standing behind him. Gibbs put on a smile, "The computer isn't working,"

The librarian looked over his shoulder at the screen and smiled, "Mind if I …?"

Gibbs moved out of the way, "Go ahead,"

The librarian typed a few keys, then stood back, "There you go, you had the computer set in…"

"Don't worry about explaining, I don't know much about computers. Will it work now?" Gibbs interrupted

"Of course," the man stepped back, then frowned at him, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

All of a sudden, Gibbs had a feeling of dread, calmly replying, "Nah, I just have a familiar face,"

The man smiled, "I see. Um, if you need anymore help, just give me a shout,"

Gibbs watched the man walk away, before turning back to his computer.

* * *

Kate and Tony patiently waited in the waiting room for Wicks' newest shrink to see them. Apparently he was busy with another patient at the moment and should be out in around another ten to twenty minutes. They watched the receptionist flick through channels on the television, finally stopping on the news channel.

"So, what do you think?" Kate asked

Tony turned to her, questioningly, "About what?"

"Who do you think was most likely?" Kate asked

"Dunno," Tony replied, looking back to the TV, "The person over the internet sounds a bit sus,"

"Yeah," Kate responded.

Tony frowned at the TV as a picture of Gibbs showed on the screen, "You know, no matter how this turns out, his reputation is gonna be screwed,"

"I know," Kate replied with a sigh

They looked up as somebody walked out of the office and through the waiting room.

"Dr. Turner will see you now," the receptionist told them

Kate and Tony stood up and walked into the office, shaking hands with the psychiatrist as they walked through the door.

"What can I do for you?" Turner asked, "Are you here for marriage counseling?"

Tony and Kate exchanged a look, "I take it your receptionist didn't tell you who we are?" Tony asked

Turner gave them a blank look.

Kate took out her badge, "NCIS, Special Agents Todd and DiNozzo. What can you tell us about George Wicks?"

"I've already told you guys everything," Turner argued, defensively

"Tell us again," Tony replied

* * *

That's it for chapter 5!...Hope you liked it! Please review! Tell me what you think... 


	6. Chapter 6

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews!

Also, a gigantic thankyou to Kate for all her help and support!

* * *

Abby took a sip of her caf-Pow! and slid it to McGee. Abby had arrived in the morning to found a laptop in an evidence bag on her desk, as well as a few other bags of evidence. There was also a note left by 'The birdie' wishing them good luck. McGee and Abby had been working hard ever since to try and track the emails Wicks had been receiving. 

The ringing of the phone interrupted them from their work, momentarily distracting them.

"Yo," Abby answered.

"Abs, what have I told you about answering the phone. It's either 'Starbucks, Abby speaking,' or 'Good evening, Starbucks,'" a voice on the other end replied

"Well, I can see two problems with that. Firstly, it's not evening, it's the afternoon. Secondly, this isn't Starbucks," Abby replied, hanging up

"Who was that?" McGee asked

"Gibbs," Abby responded, "He wants us to make his phone call untraceable,"

"Right," McGee replied, raising his eyebrow, "He said that?"

"Nope. Firstly, he told me off for how I answered the phone. Secondly he knew my name. Thirdly, he said it was Starbucks, I mean, come on." Abby explained, tapping at keys on her keyboard

"Right," McGee responded

A few minutes later, the phone rang again. Abby picked it up after the second ring, "The lab,"

"That's a very formal greeting, Abby," Tony said on the other end of the phone

"Tony, what's up?" Abby asked

"Just wanted to see if you've got anything for me," Tony replied

"Yep, come down and I'll show you," Abby responded, hanging up

As soon as Abby hung up, the phone rang again.

"The lab," she answered

"Abs, is this line safe?" Gibbs asked

"As safe as a baby sleeping in its crib," Abby replied

Gibbs sighed, "Good,"

"So, what've you been up to?" Abby asked

"Learning how to use computers," Gibbs grumbled, "You're looking at a serial killer. I followed a lead…"

"From the birdie?" Abby interrupted

"Um, possibly. Anyway, turns out there were two murders three years ago in Baltimore, same MO. Jim Robbins, 30 years old, died in the same way as Wicks. Also a 32 year old, Bruce Collins," Gibbs replied

"But you haven't been to Baltimore since…Oh…" Abby said as realization dawned on her

"Yeah, since the case I worked with Tony," Gibbs responded

"What about me?" Tony asked, walking into the lab

"We were talking about you, Tony, not to you," Abby teased

"I thought you had something for me?" Tony asked

"DiNozzo! It's more of a question of what you have for me," Gibbs called through the speaker

"Boss?" Tony asked

"Look, I don't wanna stay on the phone any longer than necessary," Gibbs responded, "I couldn't find much on Wicks, apart that he was a doctor,"

"Yeah, well we found two promising leads," Tony replied, "Dr. Turner, the FBI's prime suspect before you. He's a shrink and seems a bit strange; I can't place my finger on it yet. The other suspect was somebody Wicks met over the net,"

"Jones, Toby Jones," McGee piped up, "We've just tracked him down, boss,"

"Doesn't ring a bell. I talked with both Robbins' and Collins' families. Haven't had the chance to talk with their work friends yet," Gibbs replied

"Who?" Kate asked, not recognizing the names

"We might be looking at a serial killer," Abby replied

"Anything else?" Tony asked, "How are you going with the lists of names, Abs?"

"Gibbs, do you remember Trance Passer or Justin Martin?" Abby asked

"Yeah, I do. Trance was one of the first guys I helped NCIS track down. He was a serial killer, raped and killed both men and women. As the killings progressed, so did the intensity of the killings. Shortly before we caught him, he began maiming the victims. I was the arresting officer; he developed an intense dislike of me because I caught him, and because he thought I was like him," Gibbs replied

McGee brought of the file on the plasma for Kate and Tony.

"It says that he physically attacked you," Kate commented

There was no reply for a while, "I…when I was interrogating him, he jumped me, it just took me by surprise,"

"He put you in hospital?" Tony asked

They heard a sigh, "Yeah, he did. The other agents weren't quick enough to get him off me,"

"Gibbs, you have to tell us everything if you want us to help you," Abby told him

"He tried to attack me again when we were at court. I had to give evidence against him. He jumped over the desk and managed to punch me before security got him. For a few months after he was imprisoned, I received threats…no, actually, I still do. But they mean nothing. We all receive threats," Gibbs eventually answered

"Yeah, but we don't receive them for twenty years," Tony answered

"What about Martin?" McGee asked

"A few years before you joined, Abby, we had a case involving missing children, very wealthy children. We suspected a few of marines, but didn't have enough evidence to bring them in, so, I had to go in undercover. I befriended one of the players, Martin, and eventually found the evidence we needed and put them away. The kidnapping would have made Martin and his collegues very wealthy men, and he wasn't too happy about it," Gibbs replied

"Hardly seems much of a threat," Tony commented

"Yeah, but it destroyed his reputation and everything he knew. He was some rich kid who always got what he wanted and I took away everything he knew. Apparently he tried to commit suicide a few times in the first few months, then I started getting abusive mail. It seems he turned his depression and everything on to me. And he has a lot of contacts, powerful contacts. Abs, do you remember when I had to take a few days off, about six months before I hired Tony?" Gibbs asked

"Of course, you've never taken of a day in your life" Abby replied

"Yeah, well, some of Martin's friends paid me a visit. Thankfully I heard them before they found me and I managed to apprehend them with little resistance. Took them to the local cop shop and booked them," Gibbs replied

"That would make more sense," Tony responded

"Yeah," Gibbs agreed

"Does he still send threats to you?" Kate asked

"Yeah, and don't say that the threats didn't bother you. Did you ever tell anybody about the attack?" Tony asked

They heard an intake of breath, "I gotta go, talk later," Gibbs whispered, before hanging up

The engaged signal sounded throughout the lab as the team tried to figure out what had just happened.

* * *

Gibbs stepped out of the telephone booth and watched as a police car stopped. One of the officers got out and began walking towards him. Gibbs continued walking away, not wanting to run and give himself away. Eventually he pulled into a bakery store, looking back to see the cop walk into the coffee shop beside the bakery. 

"Hi, what can I get for you?" the lady behind the counter asked him

"Ah, nothing, thanks," he called over his shoulder, walking out of the store

As he walked down the street, he kept an eye on the cop car, making sure they hadn't noticed him. Finally he rounded a corner and pulled a note out of his pocket. It was time to see where Robbins had died. He followed the small map he'd printed off, stopping in front of an abandoned apartment building.

As he approached the door to the apartment on the second floor, he frowned; nobody had lived here or been in here since the murder. The door was boarded up, big pieces of wood blocking the door. If it hadn't been for the rot going through the planks of wood, it would be impossible to get in. Gibbs kicked at the plank a few times before it splinted and broke apart. He proceeded to open the door and walk in. Digging around his backpack, he retrieved a torch, shining it around the dark and dank room. The windows had also been boarded up, blocking out the majority of the light.

Gibbs walked around the perimeter of the room, sticking close to the walls, incase the floor wasn't as sturdy as it should be. He sighed as he walked around the room, finding nothing, not that he would've been able to use it as evidence anyway - this place was probably used as a place to sleep for somebody on a regular basis.

"But we're not gonna find anything!" he heard somebody shout

"Shut-up! The Feds said they want us to reopen the case, they think they found the murderer. They want us to go over everything," another voice responded

"But why…?" the other voice argued

"They said everything!"

Gibbs cursed, looking around the room for a place to hide. Running to the far side of the room, he found a hole in the wall.

"Hey! Who are you?" he heard the second voice ask

Gibbs turned around, "I, ah, I live here,"

"Oh, ok, what's your name?" the man asked. Gibbs didn't miss the look of recognition on the man's face.

Quickly turning around again, he climbed through the hole into the next room

"Go that way!" he heard the man order

"Shit," Gibbs cursed, running through a maze of rooms, trying to find the way out

"Police! Freeze!" the man behind him yelled

Gibbs ran into the next room, hearing the man fire at him, bullets hitting the doorframe moments after he'd passed through it. He ran through the room, looking for an exit, and found it in the way of a window that hadn't been boarded up yet.

"Freeze!" the man yelled

Gibbs heard the gunshots moments before he felt the searing pain in his shoulder and chest. With the last of his momentum, he fell through the window into the dumpster below. Seconds after he landed, he rolled and got up and out of the dumpster. He ran down the street, trying to ignore the pain in his chest and how hard it was to lift his legs. He looked behind him, expecting to see the two cops chasing him, but was surprised to see that neither was following him. Turning back around, he continued running regardless.

* * *

That's it for chapter 6!...Hope you liked it! Please review! Tell me what you think! 


	7. Chapter 7

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews

Also a huge thankyou to Kate for her fantastic work and support

* * *

"I wonder what that was about," Abby commented

"I dunno, but it didn't sound good," Tony replied

The team stayed in silence for a bit longer, waiting for something to happen.

"Well, at least we have some more leads. McGee, you got a location on your email guy?" Tony asked

"Yeah, I'll put it on your PDA," McGee replied

"Okay. Abby, keep profiling the guys with grudges against Gibbs, see if there's any connection between the suspects we already have. McGee, I want a background on the shrink, I wanna know everything from his first word to what he had for breakfast this morning. Also, look at those guys Gibbs mentioned, Robbins and Collins," Tony said, "Kate, you're with me,"

Kate and Tony went back to the car-park to pick up the car. They headed to Jones' house in silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Tony got out of the car as soon as he applied to handbrake, Kate close behind him. He knocked loudly on the door. After a few moments of silence, he knocked again more impatiently.

"Hang on," a voice called from inside

Eventually the door opened and a young man stared back at them, "Can I help you?"

Tony withdrew his badge, "Special Agents DiNozzo and Todd, NCIS; Naval Criminal"

"Investigative Service. Yeah, I know. What do you want?" the man interrupted

"Are you Toby Jones?" Kate asked

"Yeah. What's this about?" Jones answered

"Can you tell us about your relationship with Dr. George Wicks?" Kate asked

"Who?" Jones asked

"Also goes by the name of sexybeast8069," Tony supplied

"Hey, I had nothing to do with his death!" Jones defended himself

"We're not implying that. At the moment we just have some questions," Kate replied

"Forget it! If you wanna talk to me, you can talk to my lawyer," Jones said, closing the door

Tony put his foot in the door, "That can be arranged. Why don't you come back to the office and we can talk properly,"

"Piss off!" Jones shouted, trying to shut the door, "Get your foot outta the door, or I'll have you charged!"

* * *

Gibbs collapsed on the side walk as he legs gave way beneath him again. Rolling to his side, he tried to get back up, he couldn't afford to stop. As he got to his feet, he stumbled a few steps before falling down again. He coughed as he tried to get up again.

"Hey, buddy, are you okay?" somebody asked him, kneeling beside him

Gibbs nodded as he fell down again, "I'm fine,"

"You don't look it," the man replied, looking at his blood-soaked shirt, "I'm gonna call an ambulance,"

"No," Gibbs weakly argued, "I'm fine,"

But the man wasn't listening; he was on his cell, talking with an emergency operator. Gibbs managed to get back to his feet, staggering into the wall. He used the side of the building to keep himself upright as he tried to continue walking.

"Hey," the man said, putting the cell away and walking towards him, "You can't go anywhere in this condition, you're injured,"

"I'm fine," Gibbs croaked

He stumbled again and would've fallen hard on the ground if the man hadn't caught him and lowered him down slowly. Gibbs tried to get up again, but couldn't find the energy.

"Jesus. What happened to you?" the man asked

"Nothing," Gibbs wheezed, lifting his head as he began coughing again

The man helped him sit up as the intensity of the coughs increased tenfold. Rolling his head to the side, he threw up. Feeling the taste of copper in his mouth, he realised he'd thrown up blood. The man helped Gibbs lay down again. By now a crowd had formed, and were looking at Gibbs in awe.

"I don't want to go to the hospital," Gibbs whispered to the man who was helping him

"You don't have much choice," the man answered

"Hey! Why the hell are you helping _him_! He's a murderer. We should just let him die!" somebody in the crowd called out

"He's a human being, just like all of us. And he's injured, he needs medical attention," the man answered

"Huh, I bet he's been shot or something, fleeing the course of justice. We should finish the job," somebody else called out

Gibbs began coughing again, feeling blood dribble out of his mouth as he struggled to breathe. He tried to sit up to get more oxygen into his lungs, but felt somebody kick him hard in his chest and he couldn't stop the cry of pain that escaped from his mouth. Groaning, Gibbs rolled onto his side, pulling his knees to his chest. He heard the man who was helping him stand up and argue with the person who'd kicked him.

"Ahh!" Gibbs moaned, vaguely hearing people arguing and a fight break out. He rolled onto his back and saw stars dancing around his eyes as he fought to remain conscious. As he began to gag, he rolled onto his other side, exposing his back to the crowd.

Over the noise of the fight, he heard a siren approaching. He began wheezing again and his head felt fuzzy, he knew he was losing consciousness. He heard the sirens and other noises get quieter and finally fade out as the blackness consumed him.

Gibbs felt somebody shake him, then turn him onto his back. People were talking to him, but he couldn't make out what they were saying, it was like they were speaking in a different language. Somebody put something around his upper arm.

"Can you hear me, Mr. Gibbs?" somebody asked

Gibbs moaned and coughed, feeling the coppery tang of his blood again.

"Mr. Gibbs, my name is Kerry, I'm a paramedic and I'm here to help you. Can you open your eyes for me?" Kerry asked

Gibbs moaned again and slowly opened his eyes and saw a young woman looking back at him with concern in her eyes, "Call…me…Jethro," he mumbled

Kerry gave him a small smile, "We're going to prepare you for your ride to the hospital now…"

Gibbs closed his eyes again, hearing her voice start to fade off.

"Jethro, stay with me," Kerry called. Gibbs opened his eyes again, squinting at Kerry. "That's good, try to keep your eyes open okay? Can you do that for me?"

Gibbs tried to nod, but gasped in pain.

"Okay, try to keep your head still, Mr. Gibbs," Kerry told him

"Can't…breathe" Gibbs wheezed

Kerry put an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, "Is that better?"

Gibbs made a 'sort-of' gesture with his hand.

"Good. We'll have you at the hospital in no time, okay?" Kerry asked, putting a neck-collar on him

"Mmm," Gibbs mumbled, closing his eyes

"Jethro, stay with me," Kerry said.

Gibbs opened his eyes, "So…tired," he mumbled

"I know, just try to stay here. How about you tell me about your job" Kerry suggested

Gibbs coughed, "Work for…NC…IS…Naval…Criminal…Inves…tigative…Service," Gibbs gasped, holding his chest hard, tears springing from his eyes, "Wanna…go to…sleep"

"Try to hang in there," Kerry said, looking up at her partner, "We have to get him to the hospital now,"

"Okay," he heard another voice, "On my count, one, two, three,"

He felt his body lift from the ground and by put on something softer. Closing his eyes, he let the warmth and softness surround him, taking him away from this place. He heard Kerry call him again but couldn't find the strength to open his eyes.

* * *

That's it for chapter 7!...Hope you all liked it! Please review! 


	8. Chapter 8

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews!

Also a huge thankyou to Kate for her fantastic work and great help!

* * *

Kate and McGee watched from observation as Tony walked into interrogation, slowly sitting down opposite Jones. He put down a few big files and began sorting them out, ignoring Jones.

"I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work, Agent DiNozzo," Jones grumbled

"Well, why don't we cut the crap? Tell me about your relationship with Wicks," Tony eventually replied

"Nothing to tell," Jones replied evenly, "We met online, we talked a lot, we have a lot in common,"

"What did you talk about?" Tony asked

"This and that," Jones responded

Tony narrowed his eyes at the man, then looked down at one the open files, "Can you tell me where you were last Wednesday, between 11pm and 4 the following morning?"

"I was watching 'The Last Dance' with my mother," Jones replied

"Your mother is dead," Tony told him

Jones smiled at him, "Tell me, have you found Agent Gibbs yet? He's the one you should be interrogating. You should ask him where he was last Wednesday,"

"Yeah, well, I'm asking you," Tony replied, "Where were _you_ last Wednesday?"

"Is it true that they found his fingerprints all over the crime seen and a bloodied shirt in his garbage? You have to wonder what's happening to the world when such a talented officer like him begins killing people. And especially when his only motive was the thrill of taking away somebody else's life," Jones responded, "And we trust you people to look after us, to serve and protect. What a joke,"

"Can anybody confirm your whereabouts last Wednesday?" Tony asked, biting down on his anger

"Are you going to charge me with anything?" Jones asked as he stood up, "Cause, I think we're done here,"

Tony stood up and blocked Jones' exit, "I'm not finished with you, sit down," Tony waited for Jones to sit down, before walking back to stand in front of the mirror, "I only have a few questions for you, once you've answered them to my liking, you can leave," he said coldly, "Now, tell me what you were doing last Wednesday night,"

"I had dinner with an old friend, Shaun Betros, at the little Italian restaurant on Daniels Street. We left at around nine; I went home and had a few beers whilst watching 'Fight Club'. Nobody can confirm my whereabouts until nine the following morning," Jones replied

The door to the room opened and Jones' lawyer walked in, "Agent DiNozzo," she said to Tony, then looked at her client, "I believe we can leave now,"

Tony made no attempt to stop them as they walked out of interrogation. Kate and McGee watched from observation, turning to the door when Tony walked in.

"Well?" he asked, looking at Kate

"He doesn't have an alibi, and he obviously hates law enforcement officers. It's possible. But who is he? What about the two cases in Baltimore? And what does he have against Gibbs?" Kate responded

"Yeah, I agree. McGee, I want you to follow him, be discreet. Kate, I want you to find out everything you can about him," Tony told them, before walking out of observation and down to the lab, stopping on his way to pick up a caf-Pow!

As he entered the lab, he found Abby squinting at her monitor, her mouth hanging slightly open. Turning down the music, he walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder as he put the drink on the desk beside her.

"Wha-?" Abby said, quickly turning around, "Ah, Tony. I didn't see you come in,"

"Yeah, I saw that," Tony replied, "What've you got for me?"

"More questions than answers," Abby responded, turning around again, "I checked out the other twelve guys who've threatened Gibbs in the past. They all sound credible. I put them in order of the most dangerous and who would have the most to gain from hurting Gibbs or whatever,"

"Okay," Tony replied as Abby took a sip of her caf-Pow! and picked up a print-out from the printer, "This is it?"

"Yep, it's got what they did, how long they went away for and why they have a reason to hate Gibbs," Abby answered, sipping her caf-Pow! again

"Great. Anything else?" Tony asked

"Yeah. I worked my way through some of the evidence the birdie gave us. It seems that Wicks was approached at his apartment, not at the park as they originally thought. The agents who worked the case didn't take anything from Wicks' apartment apart from his laptop," Abby explained

Tony bit on his lower lip, "I'll see if we can get access to the apartment,"

Abby smiled, "Thatta boy, Tony,"

Tony smiled, "Thanks Abs," he said as he walked out

As Tony walked into autopsy, he saw Ducky talking with the body on his table. Tony smiled, "Hey, Duck,"

"Ah, Anthony, please to see you down here," Ducky responded, looking up, "My friend and I were just discussing the history of saluting,"

Tony smiled, "I'm sure that's an interesting story, Ducky,"

"It is, my boy, it's fascinating, it originated in…" Ducky began

"Ducky," Tony protested, "What have you got for me?"

Ducky smiled, "It seems that whoever killed Mr. Wicks here was either merciful or stronger than he knew. This young man did not die from these horrendous injuries, no; he was killed prior to them. Cause of death is his broken neck. These injuries," he pointed to various places on Wicks chest, "Occurred post-mortem, notice the colour of the bruising. At a guess, I would say that our killer wasn't aware that Mr. Wicks was already dead,"

"How could they not know?" Tony asked

"That's an interesting question, unfortunately not one I can answer. However, during the course of the assault, our young man was restrained, unnecessarily. These bruises," he pointed to Wicks' wrists, "Are from being held down, and not from a rope, but by somebody's hands,"

"Did you get prints?" Tony asked, hopefully

"I've just sent them to Abigail for analysis," Ducky answered with a smile

Tony grinned, "Good work," then he frowned, "Ducky, do you think there were two killers? If Wicks was being restrained…"

Ducky sighed, "That would be my assumption,"

* * *

As Tony sat down at his desk again, his phone rang. He answered it and listened to the person on the other end for a while before hanging up and turning to Kate.

"Director wants us in Mtac now," he said, getting up from his seat

Kate followed Tony as he made his way into Mtac.

"Agent DiNozzo, Todd," the Director greeted them, turning to the man who stood behind him, "I'm sure you already know Director Skinner from the FBI,"

"Yes, we do," Tony replied, greeting both Directors

"I have reason to believe that your team is investigating the case for which your team leader has been accused of murder, am I correct?" Skinner asked

Tony looked at Kate, then at Skinner, "We think you've made a mistake, Gibbs is innocent, we have reason to believe that he was set up. We haveevidence to show that…"

"You've been put on strict orders _not_ to investigate this case…" Skinner interrupted

"I don't take orders from you," Tony interrupted coolly

"You have no jurisdiction to investigate this case. Wicks was a civilian, not military," Skinner argued, raising his voice

"Technically, we do have some jurisdiction as an ex-marine has been set up to take the fall for murder," Tony argued

Skinner turned to Morrow, "Can you not control your own agents? They are not to go anywhere near this case, if I find out that they have…"

"Now, hang on just a second, Skinner. Have you even contemplated the possibility that Agent Gibbs was set up? I've known him for a long time and he is one of the best, if not _the_ best agent I have," Morrow interrupted, "I've been told that as soon as you had the DNA results back, you ceased all other lines of enquiry and went after my agent. We're simply checking that you don't put the wrong person behind bars, and as it involves an ex-marine, we do have jurisdiction enough to investigate this case,"

"You're making a mistake, Morrow," Skinner responded

"There's only one person here who's made a mistake, Skinner, and it is not me," Morrow replied

"You haven't heard the end of this, I'll be back," Skinner replied as he walked out of the room

"Think we ruffled a few feathers," Tony commented

"Let's just hope we're right," Morrow replied, "Have you got anything new?"

"At the moment we have a lot of suspects, one in particular, Mr. Jones. I have McGee following him at the moment," Tony responded

"Yeah, he's had a typical upbringing as well. Attended a private school in California, before moving to Baltimore and taking up a traineeship as a chef. He's never had a parking or speeding fine. His mother had a heart attack in the middle of the night and died. His father disappeared a few years later," Kate filled them in, "I'm currently trying to track down friends of his,"

"Okay, keep on it. Tell me when you get anything," Morrow responded

* * *

That's it for chapter 8!...Hope you liked it! Please, please review! 


	9. Chapter 9

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews

Thankyou also to Kate for her great work and fantastic ideas!

* * *

Gibbs heard beeping sounds in the background and smelt disinfectant among other things, alerting him to the fact that he was in hospital. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked around the hospital room, seeing how many machines he was hooked up to. He tried to cough, but the action was hampered by something. That's when he felt the tube down his throat that was connected to another machine, making whooshing sounds.

"Good morning, Mr. Gibbs," he heard a woman say to him

Opening his mouth, he tried to say something, but barely achieved a grunt.

"Just relax, Mr. Gibbs, that tube is helping you to breathe. Your were in a pretty bad condition when you arrived yesterday afternoon," the nurse told him

Gibbs tried to sit up, with the intention of pulling out the tube, but sitting up made the room spin and he lay back down. He watched as the nurse injected something into one of the tubes from his body, and walked out. Blinking a few times, he looked around the room, growing more depressed as he realised the chase was over. The paramedics had known who he was, so they would have called the police. Sitting up again, he leaned on his elbow until the dizzy spell passed, before breathing out and pulling on the tube down his throat. He gagged as the tube came out, putting it on the bedside table as he began coughing. Wheezing, he tried to collect his breath and return it to normal.

"Knock, knock," came a voice from the door

Turning around, Gibbs saw Kerry enter the room.

"They told me you were awake," Kerry explained

"Water?" Gibbs croaked

Kerry picked up a jug of water from the bedside table and filled a glass, before giving it to Gibbs. "I see you took out the oxygen tube" Kerry remarked, gesturing to the offending object

Gibbs took a sip of the water, "Mmm, uncomfortable. Can breathe by myself" he answered in staggered sentences

Kerry smiled, pulling a nasal canulafrom behind his bed and hooking it up to the oxygen, before placing it on Gibbs, making sure the prongs aligned with his nose, "That should be a bit better,"

"Thanks," Gibbs croaked, then frowned, "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see how you're doing," Kerry replied

"Is that normal? Do you check up on all of the people you bring in?" Gibbs asked, coughing again

"Not usually. Sometimes I check up on people we bring in in a severe condition, I like to know that they made it, and some of the children we have to bring in," Kerry explained

Gibbs nodded, "I don't like cases involving children either,"

"Do you have any children?" Kerry asked, sitting down

"Had one," Gibbs croaked

"Had?" Kerry asked

"Shannon. She was seven when she died. Killed by a drunk-driver," Gibbs explained

"I'm sorry," Kerry replied

Gibbs nodded, looking down, "Yourself?"

"No. Only Richie and Casper, my dogs," Kerry responded

Gibbs smiled, "Always wanted dogs. But I'd never have enough time for them,"

"That's why I'm lucky, my brother looks after them for me when I'm at work," Kerry replied

"You live with your brother?" Gibbs asked, wincing as he tried to move into a more comfortable position

"No, he lives with me. He moved in a year ago when he went through a nasty divorce. He hasn't moved out yet," Kerry explained

Gibbs nodded, then narrowed his eyes at her, "You didn't really answer my question before, about why you're here. Most people don't like hanging around with people they think are murderers,"

Kerry sighed, "To tell you the truth, I really don't know why I'm here. I wanted to see how you were doing. And you don't act like you killed somebody,"

"That's because I didn't," Gibbs replied, leveling his eyes at her

Kerry nodded, "So why run?"

"I was given a heads up. I was also told that they weren't gonna continue the investigation, once they caught me, they would have put me away," Gibbs replied, "Hardly seems appealing, so I decided to help myself, came here and tried to get evidence that I didn't do it,"

"Did you find anything?" Kerry asked

"Nope, didn't have enough time," Gibbs sighed, "I need something like, a video capturing the whole thing," he gave a small laugh, "And with the likelihood that I'd find that, is less than zero,"

"Where would you look if you had the chance?" Kerry asked

"I'd check out the place where Collins was killed. Then question his friends, and Robbins' friends. I'd check out their financial and phone records around the times they were…Why?" Gibbs asked suspiciously

"My brother is a cop and owes me a few favors…" Kerry responded

* * *

Kate looked up from her desk and watched Tony for a while. She smiled as he frowned, squinting at his monitor and poking out his tongue in concentration.

"Got anything?" Kate asked

"Nothing all that important," Tony replied, "You?"

Kate punched a few more buttons on her computer, "Yep. I looked through Jones' phone records; there was a lot of contact between him and another number quite a lot prior to Wicks' murder. I traced the number and got a name,"

"Who is it, Kate?" Tony asked when Kate didn't say anything

"Brett Hobson," Kate replied

Tony widened his eyes in surprise, "He's the eyewitness…"

"Yeah, I know. I did a short background check on him; he dropped out of high school and remained unemployed for five years before he became a mechanic," Kate replied,

"Any trouble with drugs or anything?" Tony asked

"Yeah, a year before he became a mechanic," Kate responded

"Got a location?" Tony asked

Kate smiled, "Of course"

Kate and Tony arrived at Hobson's house half an hour later, knocking on the door. The door opened and a man stood in the doorway looking at them. He narrowed his eyes, "Can I help you?"

"I believe you can, Mr. Hobson?" Tony asked

"Yeah, that's me," the man replied, leaning against the door frame

"Special Agents DiNozzo and Todd, NCIS," Tony responded, showing him his badge

"Ah, hell no," Hobson replied, "What the hell do you want, pigs?"

Tony and Kate exchanged a glance, "We just wanted to ask you a few questions about Mr. Jones," Kate explained

"We went to school together. Now leave me alone, I have nothing to say to you," Hobson responded before closing the door

Kate put her foot in the door, "Actually, I believe you do. What do you have against Special Agent Gibbs?"

"That bastard killed somebody," Hobson growled, "I saw him do it,"

"I think we'll finish this discussion at the office," Tony interrupted

"Too bad, I'm staying right here," Hobson replied

"Look, we can do this the hard way or the easy way. I suggest you change your attitude and come with us," Tony responded

"Like hell I am," Hobson said slamming the door

"So, you choose the hard way," Tony said threateningly to the door

Kate and Tony exchanged another glance before walking back to the car.

"We'll get him," Kate promised

* * *

"Mr. Gibbs?" a voice called

Gibbs groaned and rolled over, sighing as he fell asleep again.

"Mr. Gibbs!" the voice called again

Coughing, Gibbs opened one eye and looked around. Kerry looked down at him and smiled, "Hey, you're awake,"

"Barely," Gibbs croaked, coughing again, "Why does it hurt so much?"

Kerry sat down, "Your lung was punctured which is why you're finding it difficult to breathe. And one of the bullets chipped your shoulder,"

Gibbs sighed and looked up, watching Kerry.

"I have somebody I want you to meet," Kerry said, looking towards the door, "This is Ben, my brother,"

Gibbs looked to the door, holding out his hand, "Hey,"

"Hi. Kerry's told me quite a bit about you and your case," Ben said

"Really?" Gibbs asked, glancing at Kerry

"Yeah," Ben replied, looking at Kerry, "I also did a bit of a background on you. So, you're an ex-marine, hey?"

"Yeah," Gibbs responded, clearing his throat

"And now you want our help?" Ben asked

Gibbs' eyes flicked between Kerry and Ben, immediately going on the defensive, "I didn't ask for your help,"

"Marines never do," Ben responded, sitting on another chair, next to Kerry, "I reviewed your case, managed to find out how much the Feds have on you and I tell ya, I'd hate to be in your shoes. But, I decided to see what I could find on these Collins and Robbins guys. I pulled their phone records and financial records; there was nothing out of the ordinary,"

Gibbs sighed, putting his head back on the pillow, "Figures,"

"To do anymore, I'd have to go out of my way to find anything," Ben paused, "So, thankfully for you, I know some people. In fact, I know the guys who investigated the murders,"

Gibbs sat up and watched him, then narrowed his eyes, "What's in it for you?"

Ben thought about it for a moment, then shrugged, "I don't really need a reason, don't get me wrong, I don't do this very often, in fact, this would be the first time I've helped somebody out in your position,"

"So why are you now?" Gibbs asked suspiciously

"Because my sister asked me to, and that's reason enough for me," Ben told him

Gibbs looked back at Kerry, somewhat surprised, "Thanks," he said, looking back at Ben

Ben nodded, "Okay. But you gotta tell me what I'm looking for,"

"Look over their cases, see if anything stands out, may have been overlooked before. Question their friends, see if anybody new had come into their lives," Gibbs paused, thinking, "The case at home with Wicks, he had recently met somebody over the internet, I think they said his name was Jones. There was also something about his shrink, Turner. My team was also looking into people who may have a grudge against me, primarily, Trance Passer and Justin Martin,"

"Well, that certainly gives me a lot to look for," Ben commented, "Your team is heading up an investigation?"

Gibbs nodded, coughing, "Yeah, unofficially, I think,"

"And they're NCIS?" Ben asked

"Yeah. Speak with Agent DiNozzo, he'll get you up to date on they're progress," Gibbs told him

"Okay, I'll follow all of this up and tell you if I find anything," Ben replied

* * *

That's it for chapter 9!...Hope it was okay! PLEASE review! 


	10. Chapter 10

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews!

Also, a huge thankyou to Kate for all her help and fantastic work!

* * *

Tony and Kate stopped in at a local Chinese restaurant. As they sat down at one of the tables, a waiter approached them and took their orders.

"Well, Hobson was definitely hiding something," Kate remarked

"Yeah, it's just a question of what," Tony replied as his cell rang.

Pulling it out of his pocket, he read the caller ID before answering, "DiNozzo,"

"Tony, its McGee, just checking in. Jones is on the move again, I'm following from a distance. You guys got anything new?" McGee asked on the other end of the phone

"More questions than answers, Probie. Turns out the 'eyewitness is Jones' old pal from high school. Call us in another two hours, unless something interesting or important happens," Tony replied

"Okay," McGee responded, hanging up

Tony looked across at Kate for a while, studying her, "Kate,"

"Yeah, Tony," Kate answered when Tony didn't say anything else

"What are three words you would use to describe me?" Tony asked

Kate sighed, leaning back in her chair as she studied her partner, "Pig, sexist, womanizer,"

Tony frowned, then sighed "Okay"

Kate was about to ask about the hurt expression on his face when the waiter came back with their meals and Tony had morphed back into his carefree persona.

"So, how's George nowadays? Haven't heard you talk about him for a few days now," Tony asked

Kate rolled her eyes, "George was married. But I think you know that already,"

Tony raised his eyebrows and smirked, "He was married?"

"Yeah, and he had two kids," Kate replied

"Oooh, nasty," Tony commented, "How'd you find out? The wife come out and confront you?"

"Nah, he forgot to take off his wedding band," Kate replied, "So, what about you and Kelly?"

"Don't change the subject. We're talking about you and your love life," Tony scolded her

"Why, Tony? Interested?" Kate asked, wriggling her eyebrows

Tony laughed, "What would you say if I said yes?"

Kate rolled her eyes again, "I would say you're dreaming,"

Tony gave her a smile, "Yeah…Um, I'm just going to the head, I'll be back,"

Kate watched as Tony got up and went to the head, frowning at his strange behavior. She sighed and thought about their conversation, perhaps he thought of her as more than just a colleague… Her heart jumped at the thought and she allowed herself a brief moment of hope that it was true. Then she thought of her reply to him, perhaps she'd been a bit harsh…but what else could she have said. It's not as if she could just admit to having those kinds of feelings for him… He is her colleague, and they have a nice brother/sister relationship, a love/hate one…_But having feelings like the ones you do for Tony and the things you want to do to him, if he was your brother, you'd both be arrested_ – her mind reminded her.

"Hey, still thinking of me?" Tony quipped as he came back and sat down

Kate bit her lip and looked at Tony sheepishly.

Tony gave her his charming smile, "You ready to go? We have a boss to clear,"

* * *

Ben looked through his files again, writing down a few more notes before picking up his phone and ringing the number Gibbs had given him.

"DiNozzo," he heard the man answer on the other end of the phone

"Hi, I'm Ben. I met your boss earlier today and am looking over his case. He told me to contact you," Ben replied

For a while there was no reply, then he heard the other man sigh, "How did you meet him?"

Ben raised his eyebrows, "He's in hospital. He was shot yesterday afternoon,"

"Shit!" Tony cursed, then paused, "You said you were looking over his case…"

"Yeah, I've had a look at the murders that took place here a few years ago. The only thing that the two cases had in common, apart from their MO was that they had both taken their cars to the garage around a week before they were murdered," Ben told him

"Same garage?" Tony asked

"You bet," Ben replied, "I'm trying to find out who dealt with them. Other than that, they have nothing in common. Friends and family said that nothing had changed in the months beforehand. I talked with the detectives who investigated the case, they said the trail went cold and they ran out of leads,"

Tony thought for a second, "One of our suspects is a mechanic. He's the eyewitness, and is a friend of a guy who was in contact with Wicks,"

"Name?" Ben asked, putting the phone on his shoulder

"Brett Hobson," Tony replied

Tony hung up and walked into the elevator with Kate

"Who was that?" Kate asked

"Some guy who's helping Gibbs," Tony replied, "He found another lead,"

"Good to hear," Kate responded, walking out of the elevator and into the lab

"Kate! Tony!" Abby called when she saw them, with a huge grin on her face

"Hey Abs," Kate responded as Tony gave her a caf-Pow! and turned down the music

"Whatcha got for us, Abs?" Tony asked

"The fingerprint that Duck-man sent up to me, I have a match," Abby replied, taking a big gulp of her drink, then pointed to the plasma, "Meet Trance Passer,"

Tony and Kate turned to each other and exchanged a worried glance, before Tony took out his cell and walked off.

"You don't look happy," Abby observed with a frown

Kate sighed, then pointed at the screen, "That, is also Jones, our emailing man,"

Abby hummed in understanding, "But that's not it. Ducky also sent up another blood sample, and it didn't match Gibbs, or Mr. Passer or Jones or whatever he's calling himself. And it came up as a match on three other murder cases,"

Kate slowly breathed out and looked at the screen with concern

"Okay, don't let either of them out of your sight," they heard Tony say into his cell. They watched in silence as he hung up and walked back to them, "McGee just followed Jones to Hobson's place,"

* * *

Gibbs kept his eyes closed as he heard the nurse walk around his room and check the machines. Trying to keep his breathing steady and his face expressionless as she hustled and bustled through the room, softly singing to herself. As she eventually left the room, Gibbs sighed in relief and opened his eyes. It wasn't that he didn't like her; she seemed to be nice and easy to get along with. He just didn't want her to know that he was awake.

He sat up slowly, wincing as pain shot through his shoulder and the pain in his chest made itself known again. Taking a deep breath, he ignored his body's reaction and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He brought his hands to his head and closed his eyes as a wave of nausea hit him, threatening to make him fall off the bed. As the feeling passed, he slowly got to his feet, holding the bedside table to keep him steady. Looking around the room, he tried to locate his clothes, but didn't see them in the room. Sighing, he walked cautiously to the door and slowly opened it, looking through the gap. A man in uniform sat on one side of the door, reading a magazine. Gibbs silently cursed and searched the corridor for something that would distract the man.

He turned his attention back to the seated officer when he saw the man move then stand up. Gibbs turned to where the officer was watching, and saw three men heading towards his room. Silently cursing, he shut the door quietly and quickly got back into bed, pretending to be asleep as his door was abruptly opened.

"Ok, up and at it!" one of the men said sternly, raising his voice, "Doctor has discharged you,"

Gibbs sat up and looked at the men sleepily. Two of them were in uniform, whilst the other was in civvies, probably a detective or something.

"Get dressed, I don't want to spend any time with you longer than necessary," the 'detective' told him, nodding at one of the men as he left, followed by the other man

The officer remaining in the room threw a pair of orange overalls at him and told him to strip.

* * *

That's it for chapter 10!...Hope you liked it! Please review! Tell me what you think 


	11. Chapter 11

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: THankyou all for your reviews!

Also, a huge thankyou to Kate for all her support and fantastic work!

* * *

Tony parked the car behind McGee's which was up the road from Hobson's place. Kate got out before Tony had put the hand-brake on. Tony frowned and followed suit, walking up to McGee. 

"He still in there?" Kate asked

"Well, he hasn't come out the front yet. But there may be a back entrance…" McGee replied

Tony sighed, "So, they may have left already?"

McGee shrugged, looking contemplative, "Yeah…"

"Probie!" Tony barked

"I don't know, the other houses look like they have a back entrance, but I can't see behind their house, I ordered a chopper incase there's a chase and we can't find them. And I ordered back-up, specifically to go to that point. And I tried to pull up the directory on my PDA for this area, but it hasn't been updated yet, and doesn't recognize this area…I'm sorry but nothing…" McGee babbled, getting faster as he talked

"Probie!" Tony barked again, then grinned, "Never apologize; it's a sign of weakness, rule number…"

"It doesn't have a number, Tony," Kate interrupted with a grin

"I knew that," Tony said quickly

"So, are we going to do a Gibbs, or are we gonna wait for back-up?" McGee asked

Tony looked at Kate and grinned, "Let's do a Gibbs"

"Tony, we should really wait for back-up" Kate protested

"And by that time, they could be gone," Tony argued

They looked up as they heard another vehicle approach. Tony looked saw the dark sedan and grumbled, "Of course, the Feds,"

The vehicle stopped behind Tony's car and Fornell got out with one of his goons.

"Agent Dinatzo," Fornell said with a grin

"Agent Fornell," Tony replied

"Didn't think you'd go in there without us, did you?" he asked

"Of course not," Tony replied

Fornell smiled and looked down the street, "Which house is it?"

"Five houses on the right," McGee told him

"Why are you here?" Kate asked

"To arrest the men who set Gibbs up," Fornell replied, "Your director informed us where you were, and what information you've gathered,"

Tony nodded, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

* * *

Gibbs shifted in his seat to get into a comfortable position. He knew the paddy wagons were uncomfortable; he'd spent many trips taking offenders to prison in them. But he'd never thought he'd be on the other end of one. And the chains around his ankles and wrists that connected to the chain around his waist made the trip that much more uncomfortable and hard. Sighing, he looked around the inside of the small wagon, his eyes resting on one of the officers who'd climbed in the back with him. 

"What the hell are you staring at?" the officer demanded

Gibbs studied the man's eyes for a while before answering, "Could you loosen off the cuffs on my left wrist? It's aggravating my shoulder,"

The officer smirked, "Good," he sneered, "Can't have you getting too comfortable,"

Gibbs narrowed his eyes, "How long have you been on the force?"

"None of your business," the officer replied

"Obviously not very long, if you had been around longer than two minutes, you would have realised that you have to be careful how you handle prisoners. The majority of them have contacts on the outside and wouldn't batter an eyelid at putting you down," Gibbs told him, his voice low

"Are you threatening me?" the officer asked

Gibbs sat back, hiding a smirk, "Merely telling you how it is, just watch your back,"

"Are you threatening me?" the officer repeated

"I'm giving you advice," Gibbs replied shortly

"I asked you a question," the officer stated

"Yeah, I can see that," Gibbs responded, "Can you loosen off my cuffs?"

"Do I really look that stupid?" the officer asked

"Truthfully?" Gibbs asked

The officer glared at him, "Shut up, dirt-bag,"

"Or what?" Gibbs asked, enjoying provoking the officer. Gibbs smiled when the other man didn't respond. He cleared his throat, and squinted at his name badge "So, officer…?"

"Adams," the officer responded

Holding out his hand, Gibbs introduced himself, "Gibbs,"

"I know who you are, dirt-bag," Adams replied

"Okay," Gibbs said, "Do you know where I'm being prosecuted?"

Adams sighed, "I thought I told you to shut up,"

"You did," Gibbs responded

"DC, I think," Adams eventually told him

Gibbs sighed, and looked down, "Thanks," he said dejectedly, shifting in his seat again, "How long till we get there?"

"You'll be spending the night here, and fly out in the morning," Adams said

"What section?" Gibbs asked, looking back up at Adams

"In the prison? Well, you won't be with the general population…" Adams replied

Gibbs sighed in relief and nodded, "Good"

* * *

Ben walked into the garage that Collins and Robbins had put their cars in. As he walked through, he looked at the cars being repaired and smiled, glad that he caught the bus. 

"Hello!" he called, watching for any signs of movement

Stopping beside a beaten up Ford, he looked around again, frowning as nobody appeared.

"Hello!" he called again

Hearing movement behind him, he turned around and saw a mechanic slide out from under the Ford. The young man looked up at him, pulling out his earplugs, "Sorry, didn't hear you come in," he stood up and wiped off his hands, "What can I do for you?"

Ben pulled out his badge, "Detective Ben Springer, I want to talk to the person in charge,"

The young man frowned, "That'd be my dad. What's this about?"

"Is your dad here at the moment?" Ben asked

"No, he knocked off early and left me in charge," the young man replied

"Okay, and you are?" Ben asked

"Call me Tony," the man responded

"How long have you worked here, Tony?" Ben asked

"Just over a year, officially. But I've been around for about six years, since we opened," Tony replied, narrowing his eyes at Ben

Ben pulled out a picture of Hobson that Abby had faxed him, "Do you recognize this man?"

Tony squinted at the paper as he took it, "Yeah, Brett something, he worked here for around six months,"

"Okay, if I give you some dates and models of a few cars, can you tell me if he worked on them?" Ben asked

"Yeah, sure," Tony replied, giving the paper back, "Follow me,"

Ben followed Tony into a small office at the rear of the building. The young man pulled open a cabinet and flicked through some files, "He worked here around February till August three years ago,"

Ben nodded and gave him the dates that the cars were brought in and the models of said cars.

Tony frowned and flipped through the papers, "Yeah, here's one of them," he paused and shuffled some more papers, "Ah hah, here's the other. He worked on both of them,"

Ben sighed and scratched his head, "How much contact would he have had with the owners?"

"Depends who else was in at the time. He may have dealt with them directly," Tony replied, "Now, you gonna tell me what this is about?"

"Nope, that's all I need for now. Thanks," Ben said as he walked out

* * *

That's it for chapter 11!...Hope it was okay! PLEASE review! 


	12. Chapter 12

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews

Also a huge thankyou to Kate for her fantastic work and help!

* * *

Fornell walked into observation and growled through the mirror at the man on the other side. He glanced at Tony, then back at the other man.

"How's your head?" Tony asked

"Dr. Mallard said I have a concussion and suggested I go home with someone to watch over me," Fornell replied, gingerly touching the side of his head

"He's letting you go home?" Tony asked in disbelief

"He threatened to take me to hospital," Fornell grumbled

"You're starting to sound like Gibbs," Tony commented

When they had stormed the house, the arrest had been somewhat anti-climatic. Well, somewhat. The men had suspected something was going to go down and were prepared. Tony had kicked the door open and Fornell was the first inside. He didn't have time to react to the baseball bat that was swung at his head. Thankfully Jones hadn't had enough room to swing and the hit wasn't as bad as it could've been. Once Jones and Hobson were arrested, they'd attended to Fornell, who insisted he didn't need an ambulance. He'd been unsteady on his feet as he walked to his car, so Tony drove him to NCIS, where Fornell had agreed the interrogation should take place.

Fornell touched his head again and winced, "Yeah, it's just another thing we have in common. Only it wasn't my third ex-wife who did it,"

Tony smiled, looking back through the window.

Fornell sighed, "Dr. Mallard doesn't want me interrogating them. I think you should have a go at Hobson first, he's the most likely to break,"

Tony nodded, watching the man a bit longer before walking out. Fornell watched as Tony walked into the interrogation room and sat down, shuffling through some folders. As he looked up at Hobson, his cell rang. Tony silently cursed at the timing.

"DiNozzo," he answered

"Hi, it's Ben – I rang earlier," Ben said on the other end of the phone, "I just went to the garage and showed one of the guys there a picture of your mechanic. The guy recognized him, told me your mechanic worked on both cars and may have had contact with them,"

"May have?" Tony asked

"He said it depends on who else was there," Ben replied, "I've also sent the autopsy report and lab results from the cases to your office, they should be arriving sometime today or tomorrow,"

"Okay, thanks for the heads up," Tony responded

"Wait! Don't hang up yet!" Ben said quickly, knowing that Tony was about to, "Your boss is no longer in the hospital. He was transported to prison a few hours ago,"

Tony closed his eyes, "Okay, thanks," he said as he hung up

Tony turned back to Hobson with a smile on his face, "So, why did you do it?"

"Do what?" Hobson asked

"Why did you kill Collins, Robbins and Wicks? Then set Special Agent Gibbs up to take the fall?" Tony asked

Hobson rolled his eyes, "You can't prove anything,"

"I can't?" Tony asked, raising his eyebrows, "We found your blood at the crime scene. We have evidence that you were in contact with all three victims before you killed them,"

"That doesn't prove anything. Circumstantial, at best," Hobson replied

Tony smiled again, "I haven't finished yet. See, we also know you've been in contact with Passer, who has a serious grudge against Gibbs. His fingerprints were found at the crime scene, which by the way, throws your eyewitness story out of the water,"

"So?" Hobson asked

"And we know about the other people you killed. See, when you leave blood at a crime scene, it is analyzed and stored in the database. Your blood matched six murders, the two in Baltimore, the one here, and three others," Tony explained

Hobson scoffed, "You haven't taken my blood yet, you have no proof,"

Tony appeared to think about it, "Yeah, you're right, we have no solid proof yet," he snapped his fingers at the door. The door opened and Ducky walked in, "But I'm sure you won't have to wait long," Tony continued as if Ducky wasn't there

"You can't do this," Hobson growled, backing away from Ducky

"Sure we can. We have a warrant," Tony said with a grin

"It won't prove anything," Hobson protested as Ducky finally reached him, putting an elastic cord around his arm

"You let us decide that," Tony replied

"Hold still," Ducky said politely, rubbing alcohol over his arm and jabbing the syringe into it

"You're not going to find anything," Hobson said, as Ducky withdrew his blood

Tony hummed, "Well whilst we're checking out your stories, you can think about what you've said to us, maybe revise a few things, make up a few different stories. With the way things are going, you won't see daylight again,"

"There you go, lad," Ducky said quietly, taking the syringe out and undoing the band

"If you tell us what happened, I just might be able to save you from the gas chamber," Tony suggested as he walked out with Ducky

* * *

Gibbs walked through the prison, ignoring all the jeers, whistles and looks in his direction. He straightened his back and held his head high, telling himself that he'd get through it. When he'd arrived there, the chains around his ankles and waist had been removed, leaving only the cuffs on. His personal gear had been bagged and listed in front of him. Then he'd been given another set of orange clothes, "Department of Corrections" labeled on the back.

He followed the officer in front of him up a set of stairs, along a corridor and up another set of stairs. As he reached the top of the stairs, Gibbs was breathing heavily as his lungs told him that they hadn't fully recovered yet.

"Thompson!" the officer behind him called

The man in front of him turned around and stopped, taking in the sight of Gibbs leaning against the wall with beads of sweat littered over his face. Gibbs closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before standing up straight again.

"Let's get moving," Thompson growled, glaring at Gibbs

Gibbs returned the glare, not intimidated in the least by the man in front of him, "After you," he said coolly, still trying to get his breath back

Gibbs followed Thompson as he turned around and continued walking in the same direction as before. A few corridors and another set of stairs later, they stopped at a set of bars that ran the length of the corridor.

"Hey, Jack!" Thompson called

They heard some shuffling then another man appeared, about the same size as Tony, but had McGee's baby face. "Hey, Thompson!" Jack responded, grabbing his keys.

"I have a present for you," Thompson said with a grin, "This is Mr. Gibbs, he'll be staying with you for tonight,"

"I don't get to keep him longer?" Jack asked, unlocking the door as he sized Gibbs up

"Nope. He's going back to DC to face the music," Thompson responded

"Oh yeah. I've heard about you," Jack said, looking at Gibbs, "You're the one who killed that doctor and two other guys,"

Thompson walked in and through to the desk on the left hand side of the room, "Yeah, he used to be a federal agent. He thinks he's innocent, but I think he lost a few marbles and snapped,"

Jack followed Thompson to the desk and signed it, then turned back to Gibbs, "Well, are you just gonna stand there?"

The officer behind Gibbs pushed him through into the room and left with Thompson. Gibbs turned around and watched them go, closing the door of bars behind them.

"So, why'd you do it?" Jack asked, unlocking the cuffs around his wrists

Gibbs watched him for a while, "I didn't," when Jack rolled his eyes, Gibbs continued, "But I bet you hear that a lot. Everybody in prison is supposed to be innocent,"

Jack nodded his head in agreement, "Occasionally we do get some guys who confess though and are proud of what they did,"

Gibbs sighed and rubbed his wrists as Jack tossed the cuffs at the counter, "Well, let's get you settled in, eh?" Gibbs nodded and followed Jack past a few other cells and into an empty one, "This is you,"

Gibbs threw the other clothes in a heap and sat on the bed.

"Sweet dreams," Jack said as walked out and closed and locked the door behind him

"Oh, I'll certainly be having sweet dreams, thinking of you," the man in the cell next to him called out, then chuckled

Gibbs looked around the cell and sighed, damn, he hoped the team had found something, he didn't know how long he'd last if he had to live like this.

* * *

That's it for chapter 12!...Hope you liked it! Please review! Tell me what you think 


	13. Chapter 13

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou for the reviews

Also a huge thankyou to Kate for her great help and fantastic work!

This chapter is a bit short, but hopefully the next chapter should make up for it. Hope you enjoy it!

Warning: Mild violence

* * *

Gibbs woke up and groaned. The mattress he'd slept on was so thin that he felt the spring. Shortly after he'd arrived, lights out had been called and Gibbs had been left in darkness with his thoughts. It'd taken the better part of two hours to finally get to sleep.

"Rise and shine! Hey, dirt-bags, get up!" a voice called to them, followed by the sound of somebody dragging something metal over the bars, "You got a long day ahead of you! Get up! Especially you!" the owner of the voice stood outside his cell, pointing at him

Gibbs slowly got up and stood. The officer grinned and took out his keys.

"To the back wall, face it with your hands behind your back, now!" the officer barked, "It's time for your shower,"

Sighing, Gibbs did as he was told, "I'd really rather not,"

He heard the door open, "You don't have a choice,"

The officer cuffed his hands and Gibbs followed him down a few corridors to the bathroom, where he un-cuffed Gibbs' wrists and pushed him inside, "Have fun now,"

Slowly walking through, he grabbed a towel and ignored everybody who looked his way. A few quick minutes later, Gibbs was in front of a shower and trying to keep his shoulder from getting wet.

"You need a hand?" somebody asked from behind him

Gibbs turned around and sneered at him, "Piss off if you intend to reproduce in the near future,"

The man smirked and walked away, muttering under his breath.

"Hey, nice rod. Go fishing a lot?" somebody asked as they took the shower next to him

Counting to ten in his head, Gibbs ignored the comment and quickly finished his shower, ignoring all of the other remarks made at him. As he got dressed again, he heard somebody behind him.

"What's the rush? That guard back there told you to have fun, wouldn't want to disobey him now, would we?" the man commented

As Gibbs turned around, the man pushed him into the wall and started undoing his overalls.

"Get off!" Gibbs growled, shoving the man away from him

The man turned back to Gibbs and licked his lips, "I love a man who fights,". He walked towards Gibbs, and when he was close enough, the ex-marine punched him hard in the face, making the mandouble over.

"Oh, shit, you broke my nose, you bastard!" the man snarled

"You said you like a man who fights," Gibbs said offhandedly as he walked out

* * *

"DiNozzo," Tony mumbled into his cell, waking up at his desk

"Tony! The results have come back!" Abby said excitedly

"Be right down," Tony replied sleepily and hung up

As he stood up he looked at the people at the desks around his, and grinned. Kate was asleep on the floor behind her desk, McGee was asleep on his chair with his jacket covering him, and Fornell was asleep on Gibbs' chair.

"Rise and shine, kiddos, we got work to do!" Tony announced, "The lab results are back,"

A few minutes later, they walked into the lab. Abby turned around with a huge grin and gave everybody a big hug, then turned back to her monitor.

"Whatcha got, Abs?" Tony asked

Abby punched a few more keys, "We have ourselves a match. The DNA on Wicks' body belonged to Mr. Hobson," she said excitedly, bringing up the picture on the plasma

"DiNatzo, you ready for a bit of 'good cop, bad cop'?" Fornell asked

"Hell, yes!" Tony exclaimed, "So, can I be the bad cop?"

Fornell smiled and made his way to the elevator, "You've already interrogated him, he knows you. So, no, I get to be the bad cop"

* * *

Fornell led the way into interrogation, Tony close behind. Hobson woke up and watched them wearily.

"So, am I free to go?" Hobson asked

Tony laughed and sat down, "That's a good one,"

Fornell paced behind Hobson, "You changed your statement yet?"

"I have no reason to," Hobson replied

"The lab results just came back," Tony told him, "This is your last chance to tell us the truth,"

"I'm not telling you squat," Hobson responded, "I want my lawyer,"

"You're gonna need one," Tony remarked

"Nah, they slow down the process too much," Fornell said

"You can't do that, you can deny me my right to a lawyer," Hobson argued

"What is it withthese guysand knowing their rights?" Fornell asked

"They're so afraid to lose them?" Tony suggested

"Well, he's about to," Fornell replied

"I didn't do anything wrong," Hobson told them

"You don't think killing six people and setting up an innocent person to take the fall is wrong?" Tony asked

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hobson insisted

"Of course you do. The lab results say you were there," Tony replied

"It's lying, you'll have to take the test again," Hobson told them

"He's starting to piss me off, Tony," Fornell remarked, "He can't stop lying,"

"Easy now, Tobias," Tony replied

"What's this? Good cop, bad cop?" Hobson asked with a grin

Tony smiled, "You really don't wanna see him when he gets angry,"

"This is bullshit," Hobson stated, standing up, "I want my lawyer,"

"You don't deserve a lawyer," Fornell said, grabbing the front of Hobson's shirt and shoving him against the wall, "You forfeit that right. Now tell me, what happened?"

"You can't do this," Hobson stated

"I am doing this, tell me," Fornell growled

"Tobias! Enough!" Tony called, "A word?"

Fornell released his grip and followed Tony out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"You think that did it?" Tony asked with a grin

Fornell returned the grin, "I hope so, if not, we can always do it again. That was fun,"

* * *

That's it for chapter 13!...Hope you liked it! PLEASE review! Tell me what you think 


	14. Chapter 14

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou for the reviews! i really appreciate them!

Also a humangous thankyou to Kate for her inspiration and fantastic work!

* * *

Gibbs shuffled onto the plane, ignoring the clinks of the chain as he walked – or tried to. As he found the row of seats they were to sit in, at the back of the plane, the officer behind him, Ferguson as he'd found out earlier,shoved past and sat next to the window. Sighing, Gibbs shuffled across to sit in the middle, with the other officer, Mark,sitting on the aisle seat.

"Put your seatbelt on," Mark told him, "I don't want you to give us any trouble,"

Gibbs did as he was told and watched as the other passengers started to get on the plane.

"How long is the flight?" Gibbs asked

"Why? Do you get travel sickness?" Ferguson asked

Gibbs shook his head, "Just want to know how long it is,"

"About an hour," Mark told him

The plane quickly filled up and after around half an hour, the plane took off. When it flattened out, a pair of air hostesses went up and down the aisles, asking if people wanted refreshments.

"Tea or coffee?" one of them asked when they got to their row

"Yeah, tea," Ferguson replied

The woman poured the drink and gave it to him, then looked at Gibbs, noticing the chains and orange jumpsuit. Swallowing hard, she looked to Mark, "Tea or coffee?"

"Could I get a coffee?" Gibbs asked, returning the woman's attention to him, "Please?"

"You don't have the privilege of getting coffee," Ferguson responded

"Don't be stupid, Ferguson," Mark said, then turned to the air hostess "He can have his coffee, so long as he doesn't try anything" he said with a pointed look at Gibbs

"What do you think I'd do? Pour it on you?" Gibbs asked

The officers exchanged glances, clearly debating whether or not it was a good idea.

"Look, I just want a coffee," Gibbs said in exasperation, "And maybe a cookie, if you have them" he asked, looking at the clearly scared woman

"Yes, we have cookies," the woman answered

Gibbs smiled, "Thanks,"

The woman looked at Ferguson for confirmation before giving him the coffee and cookie, then asked the officer at the aisle.

"You guys need to lighten up," Gibbs commented as he sipped the coffee, "I'm not gonna try anything, planes aren't exactly easy to get out of. Not unless I held everybody hostage and ordered the captain to land. Which I wouldn't do,"

"How can we be sure of that?" Mark asked, before thanking the woman for his coffee

"I know it doesn't mean much, but, you have my word," Gibbs responded

"You're right, it doesn't mean much," Ferguson scoffed

"If I would have tried anything, it would be between transport," Gibbs admitted, "Easiest time to get away, everybody learns that within the first year or so of working in law enforcement"

"So, why didn't you try anything before?" Mark asked

"In the airport?" Gibbs asked, "Because I want to get back to DC. I'm hoping a surprise will be waiting for me,"

"So you'll be trying something once we land?" Ferguson asked

"Nope. Hopefully it won't come to that," Gibbs answered, "But, I'm kinda hoping for a miracle, so, it's unlikely to happen,"

"Mark, should I notify the ground crew?" Ferguson asked

Gibbs smiled, "That's just a waste of resources," he commented, "Can I use the phone? I'm entitled to a phone call, and I haven't had it yet,"

Ferguson smiled, "We're not that stupid. I'm not gonna have you arrange the whole thing…"

"You can listen in if you want," Gibbs offered

"Okay," Mark told him, "But keep it short"

Gibbs picked up the phone and dialed the lab.

"Yellow?" Abby answered

"Abs, how many times do I have to tell you how to answer the phone?" Gibbs asked

"Boss-man!" Abby exclaimed, causing Gibbs to pull the phone away from his ear

"Hi, Abs. So, what's new?" Gibbs asked

"Fornell and Tony are having a crack at some guy in interrogation. They're trying to get him to confess. But we have more than enough to get the charges on you dropped," Abby replied

"It would stand up in court?" Gibbs asked, feeling a bit of hope

"Absolutely," Abby replied

"Who was it?" Gibbs asked

"An old 'friend' of yours and some punk you don't know," Abby responded, "Ooh, and I think Tony and Kate are gonna get together, they seem closer and…"

"Abs," Gibbs warned, shaking his head, "Look, I'm on a plane back to DC, so…"

"We'll have somebody pick you up," Abby finished for him

"With a large coffee?" Gibbs asked

* * *

"Well?" Tony asked, leaning on the back of his chair. Hobson remained silent. Tony nodded, "Okay, have it your way, but once I walk out of that door, the offer goes with me…and, I don't think I can control my partner forever. And he knows that I'm leaving early today,"

When Hobson continued to remain silent, Tony walked towards the door. As he twisted the handle, Hobson finally spoke, "Wait,"

Tony turned around, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"I'll tell you everything; just…What kind of deal can you give me?" Hobson asked

Tony pushed a pad of paper and a pen at him, "Write it all down and we'll discuss a deal,"

"Good work, Agent DiNatzo!" Fornell congratulated with a grin

"Same to you, Agent Fornell," Tony replied

"So, which system are we putting them through, civilian or military?" Fornell asked

"I think we should let our directors battle that one out," Tony replied, "Thanks for helping us out and your faith in Gibbs,"

"Don't mention it," Fornell responded

"Yeah, people would stop thinking of you as a bastard," Tony said with a smirk

"Exactly what I was thinking," Fornell told him, "Tell Gibbs to drop round sometime. I have an old bottle of whisky he'd be interested in,"

"I'll pass the message on," Tony said, "It was good working with you, so to speak"

Fornell smiled and held out his hand, "Yeah, wasn't too bad, was it?"

Tony shook his hand, "Well, this time you didn't bring us coffee and bagels,"

Fornell laughed, "Maybe next time. Oh, and good luck with Agent Todd,"

Tony frowned, "What do you mean?"

Fornell walked into the elevator, "Go for it. I'm a federal agent, DiNatzo, I notice things,"

Tony continued to frown at the elevator doors, long after they'd closed.

* * *

That's it for chapter 14!...Hope you liked it! PLEASE review! Tell me what you think 


	15. Chapter 15

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: THankyou all for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

Also a big thanks to Kate for her inspiration and fantastic work!

* * *

Gibbs woke up as somebody shook him. He grunted and opened his eyes, finding that the plane had landed and everybody was filing out.

"Come on, move it!" Ferguson told him

Undoing his seat belt, Gibbs shuffled across to stand in the aisle.

"I'll be right back," Ferguson said as he headed to the toilet

Mark rolled his eyes, "He shoulda gone before we took off,"

Gibbs nodded and looked at the airport through one of the windows, "You get much sleep?"

Mark raised an eyebrow at him, "No, why?"

"Just asking," Gibbs replied through a yawn, "I could sleep for a whole week,"

"That's what happens when you go on the run," Mark commented

"Okay, back," Ferguson told them, "Let's go,"

Gibbs followed Mark through the plane and out the terminal. He looked around and saw four officers waiting for them. Sighing, he looked around for anyone from his team, but didn't see anybody. Disappointed, he slouched his shoulders and followed Mark to the other officers.

"What're you looking for?" Ferguson asked

"My miracle," Gibbs responded

Ferguson smirked and gave Gibbs a small push, "I'd stop expecting those if I were you,"

They stopped in front of the four officers, "You must be Ferguson and Odlum," one of them asked

"Yeah, I'm Odlum, this is my partner, Ferguson," Mark introduced them, "And this is Mr. Gibbs,"

The man who spoke first sneered at him, "Yeah, I recognize you,"

"Boss-man!" they heard somebody exclaim from behind them

Gibbs turned around and watched Abby run towards the group, his eyes lighting up, "Abs!"

Abby jumped into Gibbs' arms, almost knocking him over.

"Who are you?" Ferguson asked

"Ah, hang-on, you gotta wait for the others to catch up," Abby said, still out of breath

"Where are they?" Gibbs asked

"Tony's parking the car. Kate and McGee are…" she paused looking around, "There,"

Gibbs looked in the direction she'd pointed and saw Kate and McGee.

"You didn't answer my question, young lady," Ferguson told her

"Unit 3A requesting back up," he heard one of the new officers say into his two way

"I'm gonna have to ask you to back off," one of the other new officers said to Abby, his hand over his gun

"Whoa, hang on, that's not necessary," Gibbs told him

"I'll decide what's necessary," one of the officers answered

"What's going on Gibbs?" Mark asked him

"Just, keep calm. This'll be sorted out very soon," Gibbs replied

"Gibbs!" Kate exclaimed, joining the group

"Back off!" one of the officers told her, pulling out his gun

"Put the damn gun down!" Gibbs told him, "Kate?"

"Who's in charge?" Kate asked, showing the group a piece of paper, "This is an official pardon and apology, signed by a judge. It let's Gibbs off the hook. They admit a mistake was made and that Gibbs is innocent. We have a man who just confessed to the crimes, who had been charged,"

"Lemme see that," Ferguson demanded, snatching the paper out of her hands

Gibbs smiled and gave Kate a hug, "Thanks,"

Kate smiled, "No problem. What happened to your arm?"

"Damn, she's right!" Ferguson exclaimed, giving the paper to the other officers

"I think I understand now," Mark remarked, "So, this was your 'miracle'?"

"Yeah," Gibbs replied

Mark smiled and unbuckled the chains, "Good for you,"

Gibbs gave Abby another hug and pulled McGee into a hug when he arrived.

"Where the hell is DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked

Kate smirked, "Trying to find a park,"

"Agent Gibbs," Mark said. Gibbs turned around as Mark held out a brown paper bag, "Your clothes"

"Boss!" Tony exclaimed, running in, "You wouldn't believe it out there, the drivers…What are you doing, boss?"

Gibbs pulled back, "Hugging you, for a good job. But don't get used to it. And yes, the others got a hug as well,"

"Oh, Boss-man, the grouchy ex-marine is feeling emotional," Abby said

Gibbs smirked, "I'm gonna change," he said heading to the bathroom

* * *

Gibbs sat on the autopsy table as Ducky looked at his shoulder.

"You did a good job here, Jethro," Ducky commented

"Mmm," Gibbs agreed, "Can I go home now? I'm kinda tired,"

Ducky sighed, "How long did you stay in the prison?"

"Overnight," Gibbs replied

"Jethro, did anything happen…?" Ducky asked

"No, Ducky, nothing happened to me. I got threats, taunts, and everything, but I can defend myself," Gibbs interrupted

"Well, if you're sure," Ducky responded

"Ducky, I'm fine, I just want to find a nice comfortable bed and sleep for the rest of my life," Gibbs told him

The doors to autopsy swooshed open and the director entered, "Jethro,"

"Director Morrow," Gibbs replied

"Screw the formality, Jethro. How are you?" Morrow asked

"I've been better," Gibbs replied honestly

"I see. You've been given a week of leave, and you're team have four days of leave. I don't want any of you back before you're due," Morrow told him

"They worked hard?" Gibbs asked, not surprised

"Even if I hadn't told them to help," Morrow replied

"Yes, they spent last night in the bullpen," Ducky told him, "And Fornell was there as well,"

Gibbs smiled, "He was the one who told me to get out,"

"Yes, we know. He helped give us information," Morrow informed him

"I owe him," Gibbs stated, frowning

Morrow smiled, "Get some rest Jethro, you look like hell cooled over"

* * *

That's it for chapter 15! ...Hope you liked it! PLEASE review! Tell me what you think 


	16. Chapter 16

**Dangerous Measures**

AN: Thankyou all for your reviews! I really appreciate them!

Also a huge thankyou to Kate for her ongoing support and fantastic work!

* * *

Tony followed Kate onto the elevator and waited until they were between floors to push the emergency stop. 

"Okay, you can stop doing the whole Gibbs act now, he's back," Kate told him

Tony briefly smiled, "I am…I just needed to talk to you privately, and I know you wouldn't have liked it if I turned up at your house,"

"Okay, shoot," Kate told him

"Kate, I need to tell you something. I don't know how you'll react, but I have to tell you, otherwise I'll go insane," Tony said

"Tony, you're scaring me," Kate said with a grin, "You're making me think that you spent time thinking, using something between your ears,"

Tony narrowed his eyes at Kate, then hit the emergency button again, "Forget it,"

"Wait, Tony," Kate shut the elevator down again, "Sorry, that was low. I didn't mean it. What's with you lately? In the restaurant, we were playing and you looked really hurt after I made some comment. You know I'm only joking and don't actually mean what I say, don't you? I love our bantering"

"Yeah, but is that all it is?" Tony asked

"What do you mean?" Kate asked

Tony took a deep breath, "Kate, I, I think I like you,"

Kate's heart skipped a beat, "I like you too, Tony,"

"No, I mean, I _really_ like you. Like, as in, I want to break rule 12," Tony explained

Kate smiled, "Yeah, I know, that's what I meant, Tony,"

Tony grinned, and leant forward, taking Kate's face in his hands, moving forward slowly and kissed her.

* * *

Gibbs threw the sander at the wall, frustrated that he couldn't work on his boat because of his shoulder. Growling, he poured more bourbon into his cup and sat down on the floor, drinking from the cup. After refilling the cup again, he looked around the basement and wondered what he would really have lost. He would've missed his boat, and his bourbon, that was for sure, but what else? Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes. 

"Nothing," he muttered

"What's nothing?" he heard somebody ask

Opening his eyes, he saw Abby at the bottom of his stairs. Frowning, he looked at the bottle of alcohol and wondered how much he'd had not to notice Abby walk down the stairs.

"Gibbs?" Abby asked, kneeling in front of him

Gibbs turned back to Abby and smiled, realizing that he'd miss seeing Abby everyday. But how could he lose something he never had?

"Abs. Now's not a good time," Gibbs responded

"Sure it is. I was worried about you," Abby told him, stroking his hair

"Yeah, but I'm not gonna be good company," Gibbs protested

"Better than no company at all," Abby told him

"But, McGee…" Gibbs asked

"We've moved on," Abby said, "It's for the better,"

Gibbs frowned and had to look away, "How? How can leaving somebody you love make everything…?"

"I wasn't in love with him," Abby declared, "I was in love with somebody else, have been since I met him,"

"He's a lucky man," Gibbs replied, his voice cracking

Abby smiled, "But he's absolutely clueless, so I had to come down to his basement and tell him,"

Gibbs raised his eyebrows, "Me? What? Are you insane? You could have anybody you want. I'm just a stupid old ex-marine, hard-set in his ways, thrice divorced…"

"Gibbs I know you, I know you're no good at relationships, but I know this will work," Abby interrupted him, "You're exactly what I want,"

"Abs, I…" Gibbs tried to think about what he wanted to say, "I love you,"

Abby smiled, "I love you too, boss-man,"

Gibbs gave her a small kiss before embracing her in a big hug.

"Are you okay?" Abby asked

Gibbs huffed into her shoulder, "I will be, I just need time to get my head around things,"

Abby pulled out of the embrace, "Do you want me to leave because…"

"No!" Gibbs exclaimed, "I don't want to be alone"

"You're never going to be alone again, Gibbs," Abby whispered, kissing him softly.

* * *

Finished... I hope you liked it and enjoyed the ride as much as I did!

Thankyou all for your reviews, you have been great!


End file.
